Wait, is John bi too? Or gay? I laugh at his question though because what does that have to do with anything? “Bro, I wasn’t hitting on you. I want to see your piercing! I’ve never met anyone who actually had their dick pierced, that’s so cool. I just want to see it. But not, like, sexually, obviously.”
Blake is laughing next to me, and as I turn to him, his smile shifts to what I think is mock offense. “Damn, Chad, where was all this interest in seeing another man’s dick when I was proposing to you?”
Before I can answer, Liam spins to face us. “I’m sorry, you did what?”
Oh my god. I’d forgotten about that! “Wait. Holy shit. Were you serious?” I ask Blake, kind of panicking. “I thought you were joking because I’d assumed you were only into women, but fuck, did you actually have a thing for me and I just blew you off? I’m so sorry, man, I had no idea!”
Blake laughs, all offense gone as he waves me off. “Calm down, Chad. I hadn’t realized I was bi then either. I was just focused on trying to fulfil my parents’ ultimatum and keep their money. I would’ve married almost anyone at that point.”
Oh, thank god. I would hate to know I’d been so oblivious to my best friend’s feelings. I would feel horrible if he’d been secretly pining for me this whole time and I rejected him so dismissively.
Liam bursts out laughing. “Wait, can we back this up? You actually proposed to yourmalebest friend? Like, you would have married him if he said yes?”
Blake looks at me with wide eyes for a moment before he turns back to Liam and shrugs, smiling guiltily as he does. “Yeah, I would have married him. We could’ve had a lavender marriage!”
Luckily, Liam doesn’t seem upset. He’s only laughing harder now and smiling at Blake with so much love in his eyes. “Baby, how did you think you were straight? And that is so not what a lavender marriage is.”
Blake moves to wrap his arms around his fiancé, giving him a lingering kiss before he responds. “No idea, but good thing Chad said no because it led me right to you, my love. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ve never thought about Chad like that.”
“Should I be offended?” I tease.
And I’mnot, but I’m also in a weird mood with their love being so obviously on display. Blake has beensohappy since he started dating Liam, and I’ve never trulywanted to be in a relationship before, but now that Liam is Blake’s person, I kind of wish I had a person too.
“Calm down, Chad, you know you’re hot. Blake just only has eyes for Liam,” Ash assures me, and I can’t help but stand up a little taller as I puff out my chest.
“Yeah, that!” Blake shouts. “And a few fictional hockey players.” He wags his eyebrows.
“You know, I could talk about them all day,” Kieran echos with a dreamy sigh. “But, Chad, how do you know you’ve never met anyone else with a dick piercing?” He arches his brow drawing my attention to the silver piercing there. Damn, everyone has cool piercings in this group. Wait…
“Holy shit, do you have your dick pierced too?” I question, looking to Jace for confirmation, but he’s laughing and shaking his head, so I deflate and turn my attention back to John.
“I’m just saying, you’ve neverseena dick up close and personal like that before, have you?” Kieran asks, making a valid point.
“You’re right. But now is my chance! Okay, so, let’s focus. John, back to your pierced dick. Oh my god, wait. Is it just one? Are there multiple? Do there have to be multiple to set the machine off like that? I can’t imagine how much that would hurt. Did you do it all at once? Will you show me, pleaseeee?”
“Do you actually want the answer to any of these questions, or are you just going to keep blurting them out?” he asks in his signature monotone.
I can’t help but chuckle at how much effort he must put in to act like he doesn’t care all the time. I playfully punch his bicep. “Ha ha. You’re so funny. Obviously, I want the answers. I'm just excited because it’s something new that I’ve never really thought about.”
He sighs. “You’re always excited about something, aren’t you?”
I think about that for a moment before I nod. “Yeah, I guess so. There’s so much to be excited about.”
Blake cuts in before John can respond. “I’m excited too. I’m so happy you’re all here. Liam and I are so lucky to have you all in our lives, and it means a lot that you’ve all taken this weekend off from your busy schedules to celebrate us. We’re going to have the best time!”
“Hell yeah, we are!” I agree. I want to go back to John’s piercings, but maybe he’ll be more comfortable answering me one-on-one than in front of our whole group. I'll have to ask again later. For now, I need to lock in on being the best best man ever. “Did anyone want a printed version of the itinerary I emailed?” I pull them out of my backpack, and everyone takes one, even grumpy John, so I’m glad I thought to bring them.
We all find seats as everyone looks over the plans for this weekend. John and Liam sit together a few rows away from Blake and I, so I decide now’s as good a time as any to ask Blake more about Liam’s friend.
“Hey, so you know I love Liam, and that you guys are together, right?” I start, unsure how to ask why Liam is friends with someone who seems so… I’m not sure if angry is the right word. But definitely grumpy.
Blake chuckles. “Of course.”
“Okay, good. I just… What’s the deal with John? He’s been ignoring the group chat, and I was hoping it was a technology thing, but he still seems so annoyed in person too. I know he must be a good guy if he’s Liam’s best friend. And he’s here—he must want to be here for Liam. But I can’t really get a good read on him. Is it something I did? Or is he like that with everyone?”
Blake doesn’t seem surprised by my question. He smiles fondly as he looks over to where John and Liam are sitting. “Heisa good person. Definitely different than us in a lot of ways though.” He lets out a short laugh again. “You guys are polar opposites, but I actually think he talks way more when you’re around.”
My mouth falls open in disbelief. “Seriously?”
