Archive of Our Own

“Late again, Iero?”

Frank, who had been tiptoeing into the office as subtle as a burglar in a cartoon, froze on the spot and turned his head to look at Mr Way. His boss was scowling at him, his arms folded tight across his chest. He had a look on his face which Frank had come to recognise as his ‘I’m-having-a-shit-day-and-you’re-about-to-pay-for-it” look, and Frank knew he was doomed.

“Sorry Mr Way, traffic was awful this morning-”

“And yet you still found the time to pick up a coffee on the way?” Mr Way arched one eyebrow, looking pointedly at the white and green Starbucks cup in Frank’s hand.

“Well, the traffic wasn’t moving so I figured, why not?” Frank put on his most charming smile. It was a smile he had developed as a teenager as his ‘get out of jail free’ card against his mum every time she caught him sneaking back into the house at unearthly hours of the morning.

It had never failed him then. But Mr Way was not his mum, and Mr Way was not so easily won over .

“Why not indeed?” He drawled, his eyes cold. “I’ll make sure the building isn’t locked up until you’ve had chance to make up the hour you’ve just squandered. And I still expect the Kelsey manuscript on my desk by twelve.”

“What? But sir!” Frank glanced at the clock, grimacing when he saw he only had two hours to have the manuscript finished and he’d barely even started.

Mr Way, who had been about to walk away, turned back to Frank. His face was just as cold and blank as ever, but Frank was sure he could see a cruel satisfaction in his eyes. “Yes, Iero?”

Frank bit his tongue, forcing himself to take a deep breath and not rise into the argument his boss was clearly trying to start. He wouldn’t give him the pleasure of knowing that he had been slacking on his work all week.

“I can get the manuscript to you on time, no problem.” Frank lied as confidently as possible. “So there will be no need for me to stay late tonight.” Everyone else was finishing work early, as soon as their final jobs were done. The office was closing for two weeks over Christmas, and the office Christmas party was that night. Frank needed plenty of time to get ready.

Mr Way smirked as he looked at Frank, already shaking his head. “Oh don’t worry,” he said, his voice silky, “I’ll find some work for you.”

Frank managed to keep quiet only by grinding his teeth together. He watched Mr Way turn his back on him and saunter to his office, slamming the door shut for the whole office to hear.

“Fucking asshole!” Frank stomped through the office to his desk, glaring at anyone who dared to look at him. He couldn’t believe that on the final day of work for the year, Mr Way was still treating him like shit.

Frank turned on his computer and hurried to open up the Kelsey manuscript. As a copy editor he was the last port of call for manuscripts due to be published to be checked over. The Kelsey manuscript was a novel set in an ancient fantasy world, akin to Atlantis. There was no product placement or references Frank had to get copyright permission for, which was something at least. But he had only read through a third of the manuscript in the week he had been working on it.

“Well hey.” Frank looked up when Jake approached his desk, grinning playfully at him. “Fancy seeing you here.” Jake danced his fingers along Frank’s desk, approaching him slowly but Frank batted his hand away before he could touch him.

“Fuck off Jake, I have work to do.” He scowled, angry that the guy could stroll in twenty minutes after Frank and not even get so much as a raised eyebrow thrown his way.

“Seriously?” Jake laughed at first, but soon fell quiet when he realised Frank was serious. “Since when do you get so antsy about work?”

“Since Mr Way told me to have this manuscript on his desk in two hours.” Frank snapped, trying to shove Jake away so he could concentrate on his computer monitor. “I’m nowhere near done and-”

“Is that the Kelsey manuscript?” Jake leaned forward to peer at the screen. “Haven’t you had this since Monday?” He asked, smirking slightly.

“What’s your point?” Frank was not in the mood for the way Jake was grinning at him.

“Nothing.” Jake shrugged innocently. “I just know how good you are at your job, I’m surprised you haven’t finished it by now.”

Frank decided to ignore the insult that was hidden in there. So he did his work at a leisurely pace, it was no big deal. He had always been that way. He met his deadlines and hardly ever had to stress at the last minute like this. It was only because Mr Way was being such an ass that he felt stressed then. And Mr Way was only being an ass because of Jake.

“This is your fault.” Frank told his colleague, scowling at him. “Mr Way chewed my ass up for being late.”

“How is that my fault?” Jake laughed, leaning his weight onto one hip and idly playing with a pot of paperclips on Frank’s desk. “You were the one who insisted on joining me in the shower this morning.”

“Shh!” Frank hissed, looking around quickly to see if anyone was listening to them. Jake sighed, giving Frank a pitying look.

“What? Everyone knows we’re sleeping together.” He said casually, making no effort to lower his voice. Anger flared up in Frank, sparking properly after simmering in his stomach since Mr Way had talked to him.

“Yeah? Well we’re not sleeping together anymore.” He snarled, snatching the pot of paperclips out of Jake’s hands. “We are through.”

“Fine.” Jake shrugged. “I was getting bored of you anyway.”

The man sauntered away, swinging his hips to deliberately flaunt his tiny backside as he moved back through the office to his own desk. Frank almost slung the pot of paperclips at his back, but resisted when Mr Way’s face appeared around his office door, looking suspiciously around the room. Frank quickly bowed his head and got busy typing gibberish on his keyboard, just to look like he was working.

After the dragon went back into his cave, Frank sat back in his chair and pressed his palms to his eyes. He took a long, exaggerated breath and tried to calm himself down. He had far too much work to finish without worrying about Jake as well.

After a fortifying gulp of his coffee, Frank got to work.

After half an hour, the office began emptying as everyone got up to take their mid-morning breaks. Frank was usually one of the first out the door, straight outside for a cigarette and then to the staff kitchen for a fresh coffee, but this time he just kept working and settled for his now cold latte.

An hour after that, Jake drifted towards his desk again, but Frank scared him away with the coldest stare he could muster.

At two minutes past twelve, Mr Way came out of his office. He looked at Frank, raising one eyebrow in a silent question. Frank met his gaze, flushed bright red, and studiously got back to his work. Mr Way audibly sighed, but he didn’t say anything as he continued walking to the staff kitchen.

On his way back through - a steaming mug in one hand - he walked behind Frank and made a point of leaning right over his shoulder to read what was on his computer screen. Frank scowled and stopped scrolling, his back tensing.

“I’m not done yet.” He said coldly, hating how small and stupid he felt in Mr Way’s presence.

“Clearly.” Mr Way straightened back up but didn’t immediately walk away. “You don’t go home until that’s finished.”

Frank waited until Mr Way was gone before he clenched his hands on top of his desk. He would have given anything to let Mr Way know exactly what he thought of him, but instead he kept his mouth shut and carried on working.

At four o clock, the rest of the staff packed up their things and left. By that time, Frank had worked right through his lunch break and hadn’t even joined in when his other colleagues had spent the last hour of the day eating gingerbread and exchanging secret Santa gifts.

Frank’s gift had been left on the end of his desk, but he hadn’t even looked up to see who put it there. By that time, everyone could see the mood he was in and were tiptoeing around him.

When they all went home, an hour earlier than normal, Frank was left alone.

Frank stopped typing long enough to sit back in his chair and stretch his arms above his head, groaning as he eased out the tension in his spine. His vision was blurring from staring at a screen for too long, and a headache was throbbing behind his eyes, but he was almost done.

He was surprised that Mr Way hadn’t come back over to chew his ass for missing his deadline. Not even when he had walked by on his way to lunch had he said anything. He had simply picked up his sandwich from the kitchen and then gone back into his office, and there he had stayed.

He was still there at five when Frank finally wrapped up the manuscript. He had rushed the last bit a little, but it had already gone through so many other editors, it didn’t really matter if Frank had bypassed the odd grammatical error. No doubt Mr Way would read it over and catch anything he had missed.

Frank saved the file onto a USB drive and pushed away from his desk. He was eager to get home, so he put on his denim jacket and gathered his things before heading to Mr Way’s office.

“Come in.” Mr Way called when Frank knocked politely on his door. He was sat behind his desk, busy typing something and he didn’t even look up when Frank walked in.

“I have the manuscript sir.” Frank hovered in the doorway and held up the USB stick. “Can I go home now?”

Mr Way didn’t respond until he had finished typing. He made Frank wait, grinding his teeth, for two whole minutes that felt like an eternity. When at last he looked up, he swept his eyes over Frank and gave a slow, annoyed shake of his head.

“Looks to me like you’ve already assumed my answer.” He scoffed, holding his hand out for the USB stick. “Better late than never, I suppose.” He purred when Frank walked over and dropped it onto his palm. “It better be up to standard or-”

“It is.” Frank snapped, cutting Mr Way off before he could make idle threats. “I apologise that it took so long, but I was being thorough.” Frank spoke sweetly, trying not to show how annoyed he was. “Is there anything else you need, sir?”

Mr Way considered for a moment, never taking his eyes off Frank. It was clear that he was dying to find some excuse as to why Frank couldn’t go home, but at length he simply sighed and shook his head.

“You’re done for the day.” He decided, turning back to his computer screen. “Go home, Iero.”

Frank didn’t need telling twice. He turned on his heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

*

Illusion Press’ Christmas party was always a huge event. Every year the publishing house would book somewhere stupidly expensive, invite all the best-selling authors they had published and put on a completely open bar. The night usually ended somewhere in the early hours of the morning, at which point Frank was normally already gone with whoever had offered, to wake up several hours later and ride the subway home, hungover and smelling of another man’s cologne.

Tonight, he was sure, would be no different. He certainly intended to keep with tradition, especially after everything with Jake. Not even this years ‘ugly Christmas jumper’ theme was going to stop him.

Frank deliberately arrived to the party late, so that people would notice him walking in. He had chosen the tackiest jumper he could find to act as an icebreaker - it was midnight blue, with two sequined baubles surrounded by the words ”jingle my balls” - and as he made a beeline to the bar, he was pleased to find all eyes on him.

“What can I get you sir?” One of the barmen turned to Frank and smiled at him. He was young, probably not even thirty yet, and good looking enough for Frank to notice the way he stared a little too long at Frank’s jumper.

“He’ll take a beer.” Someone spoke before Frank could. “A Bud.”

Frank turned his head and gave Jake his most withering look. The man was smiling at him, in that pathetically hopeful way that always irritated Frank.

“Thanks.” Frank turned his back on Jake and accepted the bottle the barman slid into his hand.

“It’s on me.” Jake whispered into Frank’s ear, sliding close to him until their bodies were practically touching.

“It’s an open bar.” Frank scoffed, barging Jake out of his way with his shoulder. He didn’t look back as he strode away, downing half the bottle of beer in one go.

What had been shaping up to be another decadent night of partying, was now dampened by Jake’s apparent need to get back into Frank’s good graces. He bounded after him, unperturbed by Frank’s scowl and linked their arms together.

“Are you still pissed about earlier?” He asked, as if that wasn’t already obvious. “I was late too ya know?”

“Yeah but you didn’t get lectured about it.” Frank scoffed, trying to tug his arm out of Jake’s grip but he only held on tighter.

“That isn’t my fault.” Jake shrugged, leaning close to Frank and brushing his nose along his jaw. “Mr Way has a bug up his ass about you. Even if you hadn’t been late, you’d have got lectured anyway for being behind on your work.”

Frank made a face and yanked his arm even harder, almost dislocating his own shoulder in his attempt to get out of Jake’s grip. He succeeded, but Jake only stood closer to him, crowding into his personal space and trying to be seductive as he whispered in his ear.

“Come on Frank, if you’re gonna be pissed then be pissed at Mr Way. You and I have so much fun together-” Jake was touching Frank’s arm, sliding his hand up towards his elbow.

“I thought you said you were bored of me.” Frank turned his head, his lips almost brushing over Jakes.

“I may have spoken too soon…” Jake admitted, smiling as he leant in closer, his breath warm over Frank’s mouth.

“Yeah?” Frank pretended to swoon, lifting one hand to Jake’s cheek. “Well I didn’t.” He spread his fingers until he covered most of Jake’s face and pushed him bodily away. “I said we were through and I meant it.”

Jake stumbled backwards and this time Frank was able to stride away without him following. They had attracted enough attention that a few people were laughing, pointing over at Jake who had landed against a waiter carrying a tray of canapés, sending bitesize morsels flying.

Frank grinned smugly to himself and sipped his beer, heading across the room to get as far away from Jake as possible.

The party had been going on long enough that most people were already loosening up with the effects of the free alcohol. Frank found it easy to dip into conversations at random, mingling with groups of strangers as if he had known them all his life, getting a feel for who was interesting and who was not.

Frank himself remained sober. Once he had finished his beer he kept hold of the empty bottle, pretending to sip from it every now and then. This was not a usual habit for him, but Jake had all but destroyed his desire for fun that night. He was blatantly trying to get Frank’s attention still - dancing provocatively with some bloke from printing - flashing his bedroom eyes at Frank every chance he got. If Frank drank too much, he didn’t trust himself to resist.

By the time two hours had passed, and the party was starting to get really rowdy, Frank was in a bad enough mood that he considered going home. He wasn’t interested in flirting anymore and he was bored of hearing the same jokes about his Christmas jumper.

Frank put his empty bottle down on the nearest table and began to stride towards the exit. He was annoyed that for the first time ever he was leaving the Christmas party alone, but he couldn’t stand to hover around another minute.

“Leaving so soon, Iero?”

Frank stopped short with a groan, rolling his eyes before he slowly turned around to face Mr Way. The man had been stood in the corner for most of the night, talking with the other big flyers in the company and paying absolutely no attention to anyone else.

“I need to speak to you about the manuscript.” Mr Way was still dressed in his suit and tie, as if he had come to the party straight from work.

“What about it?” Frank was certain that if he was about to get another telling off then his head was going to explode. “You know the office is closed for two weeks now, right?”

“Thank you, yes, I am aware.” Mr Way’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, his face unimpressed. “The USB you gave me has nothing on it.” He said shortly, making Frank flush with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. “Can I assume that it’s a technical error and not that you haven’t actually done any work today?”

Frank scoffed and opened his mouth to retort, pointing one finger angrily at Mr Way. He caught himself just in time, and though it made his stomach swirl with rage to do so, he forced himself to lower his hand and take a long, steadying breath in.

“Sorry sir, I’m not sure how that happened.” He spoke as calmly as he could, his fingers twitching with the urge to clench into fists. “I have the file saved on my desktop, I can get it for you after the holidays.”

“That isn’t good enough Iero.” Frank wasn’t surprised to hear it. “I needed that file this afternoon.”

“Well I’m sorry sir, but the office will be locked up by now. What do you want me to do? Break in?” Frank was tired of Mr Way’s attitude, tired of always being pushed around by him. He stepped up closer, standing up as tall as he could and squaring his chest. He looked right into Mr Way’s eyes, daring him to argue.

“The office is still open tomorrow morning.” Mr Way didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Frank’s posture. If anything, he looked amused. His eyes flicked down to read Frank’s jumper and his lips twitched as if he was trying not to smile. “You will meet me there at eight o’clock and we’ll sort the file together.”

“Tomorrow isn’t good for me.” Frank lied.

“I don’t care.” Mr Way shrugged his shoulders, his eyes as cold as ever. “If you had given me the manuscript at twelve like I asked, then it’d be sent off for print by now. As it is, we’re already a day behind because of you so -”

“Heeeey!” Someone Frank didn’t recognise - a woman who had clearly drank too much - stumbled over to them. “KISS! KISS! KISS!” She began chanting loudly, laughing and swaying on the spot.

Frank and Mr Way both stared at her, equally confused. Frank wondered if the woman was delusional as well as drunk. He had been about half a second away from punching Mr Way in the mouth, the last thing he had been planning to do was kiss him.

The woman’s chanting was starting to draw attention. Frank blushed and glanced at Mr Way, but he was looking as clueless as Frank felt.

“Hey, shut up already, we’re not-” Frank tried to speak to the woman, but before he could finish, other people were taking up the chant.

“KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!”

“What the fuck?” Frank looked around, astonished by the way everyone was joining in with the drunk woman. What the hell was in their drinks? “What is going on?” Frank breathed.

“I have no idea.” Mr Way was looking uncomfortable.

“Come on Frank! Kiss the boss!” Someone shouted, inciting a wave of raucous laughter.

Frank turned in a circle, trying to figure out who had said it. Jake’s face stood out to him, but he was looking furiously at something above Frank’s head. Frank followed his gaze and groaned when he saw the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.

“Fuck. Of course.” Now it all made sense. He snapped his fingers to get Mr Way’s attention and pointed it out to him. When he saw it, Mr Way groaned and rolled his eyes.

The chanting was getting worse and now people were also shouting out things like “don’t be cowards!” and “It’s Christmas!” as if that justified anything. Frank wondered at what point society had changed enough for people to actually demand for two men to kiss each other.

“Alright, enough, enough!” Mr Way tried to take control of the situation, holding up his hands and waving them in a downwards motion to indicate everyone should relax.

“Maybe we should just kiss.” Frank sighed, although he was actually quite enjoying watching Mr Way get ignored by everyone. “It’s the only way to make them shut up.”

Either Mr Way didn’t hear Frank, or he chose to ignore him. Frank scoffed and shook his head, wondering why Mr Way didn’t just walk off. Maybe he didn’t want to seem unwilling, since he was already not wearing a Christmas jumper and had a reputation for being a hard ass; perhaps he wanted to make it seem as though Frank was being the miserable one.

Well, Frank was always up for a party, and people knew it. Mr Way had been making his life hell all year, it seemed rather fitting that Frank had the opportunity to repay the favour.

“Mr Way.” Frank stepped right up to his boss, getting his attention. Mr Way turned to look at him, but Frank didn’t give him chance to realise what was happening. He seized him by the tie and yanked him down; at the same time, Frank tiptoed up and crashed their lips together in a kiss that was more brutal than passionate.

Mr Way made a muffled noise of surprise against Frank’s lips and everyone watching them cheered. The cheers soon turned into wolf whistles and catcalls, before eventually petering off into an awkward silence when the kiss went on far longer than anyone had anticipated.

Mr Way spent the whole time trying to lean back, but Frank kept a firm grip on his tie and bit his lip when he tried to pull away. He wasn’t sure what had possessed him, but now that he was kissing his boss he was feeling a surge of power over him that he had never felt before; it was heady and addictive, and when he at last pulled away he was breathless.

For once, Mr Way looked soft rather than severe. His eyes were wide and his lips were the perfect ‘o’ of surprise. He had a dark red indent on the side of his lower lip where Frank’s teeth had caught him, and his tie was askew.

Frank opened his mouth to say something cutting and witty, but found himself just as speechless as everyone else. He had no idea what had possessed him to go so far, but with not even alcohol to blame, he had no doubt he’d probably done enough to merit getting fired.

Too afraid to face the consequences, Frank turned and rushed out of the room.

It took until he reached the elevator at the end of the corridor for the sound of the party swinging back into life to reach him. Frank mashed the button to bring the elevator to his floor, his heart racing. He had just kissed his boss. Bitten his boss. Practically forced himself on his boss in front of every member of staff in the whole damn company.

The elevator doors pinged open and Frank stumbled inside, his head spinning. What the hell was wrong with him? Why had he done that?

“Frank! Frank, hold on!” Frank turned and his heart leapt into his mouth when he saw Mr Way running down the corridor, shouting for him to hold the door. Frank pressed himself against the far wall of the elevator, silently willing the doors to slide shut already.

They seemed to take forever, but then Frank was so shocked he had forgotten to select a floor. He didn’t realise his mistake until it was too late. He smashed his hands onto the floor buttons, selecting several at once, but by the time the doors began to move Mr Way was already there, pressing his hands against them to make them stop.

“Hold it right there Iero.” He stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut behind him with a cheery ping.

Great, Frank thought, I’m going to get fired in an elevator.

“Mr Way I -”

“Shut up.” Mr Way snapped. Immediately, Frank fell silent. The elevator began to move, causing a swooping sensation in Frank’s stomach. He waited, waited for Mr Way to say something, but for a long second they simply stared at each other.

Suddenly, without warning, Mr Way moved. He darted across the small space and had Frank pinned into the wall before he could even blink. His lips were on Frank’s just as fast, their mouths colliding so forcefully that their teeth clashed.

It was Frank’s turn to be surprised and he made a soft, stunned noise in the back of his throat. Mr Way was kissing him, really kissing him, angry and violent and hot as hell.

It took Frank a moment to come to his senses, but once he had he seized Mr Way by the shoulders and shoved him hard, flipping them around so that it was Mr Way with his back to the wall.

“What the fuck-?” Frank gasped, lips still close to Mr Way’s.

“Kiss me. Just fucking kiss me.” Mr Way grabbed Frank by the hips and yanked him in tight, opening his mouth hungrily against Frank’s until their tongues slid together. Frank had a million questions he needed to ask, but he forgot them all in favour of grinding against his boss and tangling his hands into his hair, yanking hard enough to make Mr Way gasp in pain.

Their kissing was brutal, neither of them holding back. Mr Way slid his fingers beneath Frank’s jumper and dug his nails deliberately into Frank’s hips, clawing at his skin as he pulled Frank’s body tighter and tighter to his own.

Frank grunted and bit down hard on Mr Way’s lip in retaliation, delighting in the noise he made.

Mr Way was starting to sag against the wall, slipping down until their heads were level. His legs widened a touch and Frank’s thigh slotted between them naturally. He arched up, nudging his thigh more firmly against Mr Way’s body and found that he was already fully erect in his suit pants.

“Fuck-” Frank gasped.

Ping!

The elevator shuddered to a halt and the clumsy sound of the doors opening caused both men to yank away from each other. Frank span to the other side of the elevator, turning just in time for the doors to finish opening.

The hallway beyond the doors was empty; which was a good thing because both men were panting so hard it was obvious what they had been doing, even without being stood together.

Frank stepped out of the elevator first, running his fingers through his hair and trying to get a hold of himself. He was in a state of shock, his brain working hard to make sense of how - without the influence of alcohol - he had ended up making out with his boss in an elevator.

Mr Way followed Frank, his eyes bright and dazed. When Frank glanced over his shoulder at him, they shared an uneasy laugh, paused a beat, and then promptly flew at one another again.

Frank hated Mr Way. He hated him. So why were they were doing this? This being, another desperately hungry kiss, once again against the wall. This time it was Frank pressed to it, and Mr Way was devouring his mouth with such ferocity that Frank was sure he could taste blood.

“W - What… What the fuck-?” Frank gasped and groaned when Mr Way moved his kisses to Frank’s neck, biting and sucking so hard on the skin he was sure to leave bruises.

“Shut up. Shut up, just don’t speak.” Mr Way had a desperate edge to his voice, rather than his usual cold composure. He sucked his way round to Frank’s throat, sinking his teeth into his Adam’s apple. He was taller than Frank and he had to bend his knees to get to the right level, which meant that he was practically sitting on Frank’s thigh. Frank could still feel his erection, hot and thick.

Frank wondered deliriously if Mr Way wanted to fuck him. He was certainly chewing on his neck like he wanted to fuck him, but did Mr Way fuck anyone? Frank had never really thought about it at length (but Mr Way was hot enough that he had thought about it a little bit) but he had always sort of imagined Mr Way was asexual. Or maybe one of those really boring straight men who only ever had sex after six months of dating and even then only ever in the missionary position.

Frank started to laugh, he couldn’t help it. The whole situation was so ludicrous, it couldn’t not be funny.

Mr Way paused, looking at Frank in confusion. He cocked his head to one side, frowning as Frank threw his head back and really laughed.

“What? What’s so funny?” Mr Way looked torn between amusement and anger. His hands were still on Frank’s waist, holding him against the wall. He nudged his hips forward a bit more, as if it had finally occurred to him to check whether Frank was hard too. He was. Achingly so. This seemed to confuse Mr Way even more. “Why are you laughing?”

“B - Because this is - is - s - so -” Frank choked on his own mirth, his shoulders shaking he was laughing so hard. “S - SO -” He couldn’t think of the word. Or rather he could think of a dozen words - outrageous, ludicrous, unbelievable, preposterous - but couldn’t decide which one to choose.

Mr Way softened just a touch, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile. He waited for Frank to compose himself, still idly rubbing against him to keep them both hard.

“Are you through?” He asked when Frank at last collected himself.

“Oh man, I’m sorry this is just too weird.” Frank shook his head and forced himself to look into Mr Way’s eyes. He had lovely, hazel eyes… And admittedly, his firm body felt good against Frank’s, but there was no way Frank could have spontaneous, stone-cold-sober sex with the man he spent the majority of his time bitching about.

“What’s too weird?” Mr Way asked, idly stroking his fingers along Frank’s hip bone, which had no right to feel as good as it did.

“You really have to ask?” Frank may have thought Mr Way was a lot of things, but stupid was never one of them. He quirked an eyebrow at the older man and said; “Me and you? The way you’ve spent the last year constantly criticising me, and now you’ve got me against the wall like you have every right to kiss me and ask me to suck your cock or whatever.”

“I never asked you to suck my cock.” Mr Way said placidly.

“I know, I was using an example-”

“I was actually hoping I could suck your cock.”

“What?” For a heartbeat Frank was sure he had misheard, but that was all the time it took for Mr Way to start falling to his knees.

Frank stared, jaw agape, as Mr Way got busy shoving up the hem of Frank’s jumper and then yanking open his jeans. Frank’s brain was having such a hard time processing what he was seeing that it was as if it happened in slow motion. He was fairly certain he should be telling Mr Way to stop, that they shouldn’t… But the words got stuck in his throat and his cock betrayed him with how eagerly it got on board with the situation.

“Fuck, you’re thick.” Mr Way whispered as he pulled Frank out of the open fly of his jeans. Frank’s eyes widened even more. Had he just imagined those words? Misheard perhaps? Was Mr Way on drugs?

“Mr Way-”

“Call me Gerard.” Mr Way interrupted, looking up at Frank for a beat. His eyes were dark and glossy, hungry. “Please.”

“Okay, Gerard-” Frank began, and then immediately choked when Mr Way - Gerard - swallowed his cock into his mouth, from tip to root in half a second. “Holy fuck.” Frank fell against the wall, leaning on it for support as one hand went instinctively to Gerard’s hair and held on for dear life.

“Fuck, can you warn me next time?” Frank gasped, then laughed breathlessly at how stupid he sounded. He was getting his cock sucked by his asshole of a boss, there was no amount of warning in the world that could have prepared him for this moment. But what was truly shocking, was how damn good it felt.

“Oh my God… Oh Wow… You fucking love that don’t you?” Frank wasn’t trying to talk dirty, he was merely blurting out the revelations that were occuring to him as Mr Way bobbed eagerly over his length. He could take Frank right into the back of his throat without gagging, and the way he hollowed his cheeks and worked his tongue gave the impression that he genuinely, really enjoyed what he was doing.

Mr Way glanced up at Frank again, and if his mouth wasn’t so full, Frank was sure he would smirk. He kept his eyes on Frank’s as he bobbed his head, sucking just the right amount.

Truth be told, it wasn’t the best blowjob Frank had ever had in his life. There was something lacking in the technique, something Mr Way was holding back. Frank wondered if the man was coming back to his senses and starting to wonder how he had ended up on his knees in the middle of… where even were they? Frank couldn’t remember what the building was - somewhere posh and expensive - but not a hotel. An office block of some sort? Or one of those company buildings which were just full of conference rooms and -

“Frank.” Mr Way pulled back off Frank’s cock and looked at him with some concern. “Are you not into this?”

Frank scoffed and almost laughed again. It seemed a poor moment to ask, but he supposed it was better late than never. Was he into getting sucked off by his boss? Surprisingly, yes, he was. Even a bad blowjob was better than no blowjob, right?

“Frank?” Mr Way began to get to his feet and Frank surprised them both by pushing on his shoulders to keep him down. Gerard immediately surrendered to his touch, settling on his knees and going all doe-eyed again as he gazed at Frank.

“Sorry-” Frank shook his head, trying to focus. Something in the way Mr Way was looking at him was stoking the fire inside him and it was difficult to concentrate when all he wanted to do was shove his cock back into his mouth.

Mr Way waited, but when Frank didn’t say anything else he gave a small, tentative lick to the underside of Frank’s cock. When Frank didn’t push him away, he did it again, and then again, until at last he was lapping back to his tip, gathering up the moisture he found there.

“Mm… Maybe I… Should tell you something…” Mr Way whispered, sighing in delight at the bitter taste on his tongue.

“Go ahead.” Frank mumbled, idly working his fingers back through Gerard’s hair. He wasn’t sure anything else was going to shock him tonight. Mr Way could announce he was actually a woman and Frank would probably roll with it.

“I like it when a guy…” Mr Way hesitated, but he had said enough to make Frank’s skin tingle and he looked at him, holding his breath. “I like it when a guy takes control.” Mr Way said the words in one big tumble, like he was trying to get them out fast.

“Oh.” Frank stared down at Gerard, his heart missing a beat. That didn’t seem right. Mr Way was too assertive, too demanding to ever want something like that. “Control how?”

“Well…” Mr Way nosed around Frank’s length, licking and teasing as he pretended to consider his answer. By the time he actually spoke, Frank was gagging for it. “How about you start by fucking my mouth, and maybe you’ll get an idea of how?”

It turned out Frank could still be shocked after all. He reeled at first, glad that the wall was against his back and keeping him on his feet. He had never imagined - not even in his dirtiest, wildest fantasies - that Mr Way would ever say something like that to him. He felt woefully unprepared.

Oblivious to Frank’s inner turmoil, Mr Way took him back into his mouth and sank easily over his length until his nose brushed through Frank’s pubic hair. He bobbed his head slowly, taking his time, waiting for Frank to catch up.

It felt like an eternity, but was really only a few seconds before Frank snapped out of his surprise. He moved his other hand into Gerard’s hair too and got a good grip on the dark locks, holding tight as he nudged his hips forward.

He moved carefully at first, testing this new found control over his boss. Gerard’s eyelids fluttered and he opened his mouth wider, making a soft, needy sort of sound as Frank slid into his throat. He pulled back almost instantly, watching in amazement as Gerard straightened his spine, like a schoolboy trying to impress his elders.

Frank struggled to breathe evenly as he thrust his hips forward again, with just enough force that any other person would gag or pull back. Mr Way stayed where he was, and though Frank could feel him frantically swallowing around him, the look on his face was one of pure bliss.

Oh. Oh. It dawned on Frank that the way Gerard had been sucking him before hadn’t been an example of inexperience or bad technique - he had been trying to show, without words, what he wanted. That he was able - and more importantly - willing to kneel at Frank’s feet and let him use his mouth however roughly he desired.

The realisation on its own was almost enough to make Frank spend right then and there. This man, who spent so much of his time barking orders at people or demanding things to be done quicker, better, was submissive.

“Fuck.” Frank tightened his grip in Gerard’s hair and rolled his hips forward, slowly this time, enjoying every last second of his length disappearing into Gerard’s mouth. He pushed until he could feel the back of Gerard’s mouth, and then he angled himself so that he could slip slowly into his throat.

Frank moaned loud and low, staring in amazement as Gerard’s eyes rolled back, as if the pleasure was too much for him. He had moved one hand without Frank noticing, and was palming at his erection which was visibly straining in his black trousers. When he squeezed it, Frank saw how big he was and his hips jerked again, almost choking Gerard.

Frank pulled back hastily, but Gerard followed him, refusing to let him go. He moaned eagerly, the sound muffled by his full mouth. He bobbed his head just an inch and then swallowed hard around Frank’s length.

“Oh fuck-” Frank squeezed Gerard’s hair and pulled - harder than intended, but he earned another filthy moan from Gerard so he did it again even harder and twitched when Gerard’s moan turned into a keening whine.

“Fucking hell… You… You fucking like it rough?” If Frank’s world hadn’t already tipped on its head, it certainly did then. Gerard was nodding, about as much as anyone can nod in his situation, his eyes screwed shut and his hand pressing even harder against himself.

“Yeah?” Frank widened his legs a little and began to thrust with more force, groaning when Gerard just let him and took it like a pro. “Fuck… Yeah… Gonna make you take it…” Frank was only half aware of what he was saying, losing himself so easily to the wet grip of Gerard’s throat. He thrust harder, deeper, lost all control for blinding seconds of terrifying pleasure before clawing it back at the last moment.

Gerard kept his eyes shut and his mouth wide, relaxing his throat as much as possible. He was unable to stop the build up of saliva in his mouth, and though he slurped and swallowed around Frank, his chin was soon soaked, his lips shining. He felt utterly debauched, and just how much that turned him on was written all over his face.

Frank moaned huskily and pulled harder on Gerard’s hair, fucking into his mouth with less and less restraint. He rarely ever treated his partners this roughly - but then, he didn’t have partners who liked it as much as Gerard clearly did - even so, it was difficult to let go as thoroughly as Gerard wanted him to.

After a moment, Frank drew back far enough to let Gerard breathe and compose himself. The older man opened his eyes to look up at him again and he grinned.

“You can go harder.” He told him confidently, even though his lips were swollen and his voice was trashed. “Don’t hold back.”

“Fucking hell Gerard.” Frank had lost all ability to be eloquent, that he could talk at all was a surprise. “You-” Frank stopped suddenly, his heart leaping into his throat when the sound of drunken laughter filtered to them through the corridor.

Immediately, Gerard looked around, his cheeks blazing red. They could hear loud voices, talking in between barks of laughter, coming from their left.

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck-” Frank raced to tuck himself into his jeans, but he was so hard it was impossible. In the end he only managed to get his zipper half way up. He stretched his jumper down, trying to hide his cock which was jutting proudly to his stomach. “Oh fucking hell.”

“This way!” Gerard was on his feet in a flash, grabbing Frank by the hand and rushing with him down the corridor in the opposite direction of the voices. Frank struggled to keep his jeans up as he ran, and even despite his panic he started laughing.

Gerard glanced at him and couldn’t help but grin too. Together they hurried round the corner and into another corridor. This one had large windows that overlooked the city, but there was no time to stop and admire the view. The voices and laughter seemed to be echoing all around them, and Frank was no longer sure which direction it was coming from,

Gerard looked unsure too and he took a step forward, only to turn and go back, then jump and backtrack once more. Frank spared him only a second glance before he left him, checking a couple of doors only to find them locked.

“Fuck-” Gerard was starting to sound distressed, his hands flying to his tasseled hair to try and tame it, as if Frank’s erection wasn’t already going to damn them both.

“Gerard! In here!” Frank tried the third, and final door of the corridor. It was unlocked, and it opened up into what was clearly the ladies toilets - powder pink and smelling pleasantly of jasmine and rose.

Gerard hurried into the bathroom and Frank slammed the door shut. It must have been a staff toilet, because there were three cubicles, but there was still a turn lock on the main door which slid into place with a sturdy thunk when Frank twisted it.

Both men breathed sighs of relief and Frank chuckled nervously, leaning his hands against the door.

“Fuck, that was close.” He whispered, trying hard not to imagine what they’d be going through right now if some colleagues had stumbled upon them having rough oral sex in the middle of a corridor. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what the consequences might have been.

Gerard, on the other hand, seemed to have all but composed himself again and he was grinning as he slid under Frank’s outstretched arms so that he could stand between him and the door.

“So…” He whispered, brushing his lips over Frank’s, “where were we?”

Frank huffed a breathless laugh, shaking his head in quiet astonishment. Gerard was actually sliding down the door, getting to his knees again.

Frank had been sure that whatever spell they had both been under in the corridor would now be broken, but Gerard wasn’t relenting and neither was Frank if his hard cock was any indication of his feelings. Gerard was shoving his clothes out of the way again, just enough to bare Frank’s erection and suck his head past his lips.

“Oh fuck…” Frank wasn’t sure he could take much more of this. His chest was heaving, still breathless from his panic at being caught, and now getting worse because Gerard was swirling his tongue around his glans and banishing away any protests Frank might have been trying to make.

“This is… Fuck, this is crazy…” Frank felt weak kneed and he leant into his hands, pressed hard on the door for support. He looked down at Gerard, caged between himself and the solid pink door and hunger boiled inside of him. “I can’t believe how good you look right now…”

Gerard looked up at Frank, smiled at him in a soft, sweet sort of way and whispered, “fuck my mouth Frankie.”

Something inside of Frank snapped and he rammed his hips forward without warning, grunting as Gerard made a choked noise of surprise. He slid into his throat, forcing Gerard to take every last inch of his length. He pulled back quickly, but only so that he could fuck back in. He pulled his hips back again and began thrusting his hips in a fast, punishing rhythm.

At first, he supposed he was trying to make Gerard see sense, to make him gag and choke and tap out. But Gerard didn’t. He opened up wide for him and gulped around his cock, tears and saliva tracking down his cheeks and chin as he made weak, strangled sounds deep in his chest.

Frank dropped one hand into Gerard’s hair and wound the locks around his fist, pulling tight as fucked his mouth. Gerard blinked his tears away and looked up at him, and Frank could see the lust in his eyes, could feel the hunger that radiated from him. Even as Frank worried about losing control, of going too far, Gerard’s eyes begged him to do it.

“Fuck - Fucking hell - Oh God!” Frank threw his head back, unable to handle the burning stare anymore. He snapped his hips forward, sinking wetly into Gerard’s throat again and again. There was no real friction anymore - his pace too fast for Gerard to suck or do much more than simply take it - but just the illusion of power and control was getting Frank off in a way that it never had before.

“Oh fuck, that’s so… You’re so… Oh…” Frank didn’t even have words to describe it, but no matter how he tried he couldn’t stop talking. He was thrusting erratically now, desperate for the climax that he could feel curling in his stomach, painfully close but impossibly out of reach. “I need to - to -” Frank pulled back suddenly, slipping out of Gerard’s mouth with a soft pop. “I need to fuck you.”

There was no question there, no polite enquiry as to whether that was something Gerard might be interested in. Frank was never such a callous and demanding lover, and he almost apologised but Gerard spoke before he could.

“Yes.” His voice was ruined, cracked and hoarse after the brutal way Frank had used his throat. “Yes, Frank, fuck me.”

Was this a dream? Frank was dazed for a second, but a powerful force had taken control of his brain and he had Gerard on his feet and bent over the sink counter before he’d even made a conscious decision to move.

Frank looked at their reflection in the mirror, checking Gerard’s faced for any indication that this was too much. What he found was a look of dark hunger that almost perfectly matched his own. Frank felt like he had a monster clawing inside of him, and he wasn’t sure whether to be pleased to discover Gerard had a monster all his own.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Frank mumbled, even as yanked Gerard’s suit jacket off him and tossed it aside. “You need to tell me if I hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me.” Gerard’s voice was stronger now, confident. “Fuck, Frank please… Please, I need you to fuck me.”

Frank wasn’t sure how that could be true, but he wasn’t going to complain. His cock was aching fiercely, yearning for the attention that had so suddenly been taken away. His orgasm had sank away again, but he was still so strung up that he knew he’d be back in that place soon enough.

Gerard began on his shirt buttons as Frank removed his tie for him, but once the top two buttons were free Frank slapped his hands away.

“Leave them.” He growled, loving the image of them in the mirror - both fully dressed, Gerard in his black trousers and white shirt, and Frank in his jeans and ridiculous glittery jumper. He smoothed his hands round Gerard’s hips, watching himself in the mirror as he released the clasp of his belt and worked at unfastening his trousers.

The sight they made was erotic enough to make Frank feel breathless. Gerard - Mr Way - looked so tasseled and debauched, that even his suit wasn’t enough to make him powerful anymore. If Frank had been told they’d be about to fuck bent over a sink at the Christmas party he would never have believed it at all, but even if he had been persuaded to consider it, no one would ever have convinced him it would be Mr Way bent over, and Frank standing over him.

The power Frank felt was so heady that he savoured another minute of just staring in the mirror, burning the image into his memory forever. From now on, whenever Mr Way was criticising him or snapping at him for not working well enough, he was going to remember this moment.

“You look amazing like this.” Frank whispered, slowing down as he slid Gerard’s trousers down and his shirt up just enough for him to be bared from his lower back to the top of his thighs. His skin was pale and unblemished. Frank had almost been hoping to discover a secret tattoo, anything that might indicate a naughty side… But all he saw was creamy, untouched skin.

“You have done this before right?” Frank asked softly, sliding both hands round to caress Gerard’s ass, squeezing his cheeks and nudging his cock between them when his hunger got the better of him. He thrust leisurely, his cock sliding along Gerard’s crease, just friction enough to stop the ache that was gnawing at Frank.

“Of course I have.” Gerard had his eyes closed, refusing to look at their reflection even as he tipped his hips to make the glide of Frank’s cock easier. “Don’t tease me Frankie, please…” He begged, his knuckles white from how hard he gripped the counter.

“We need lube.” Frank’s brain was working overtime to get some logic into the situation. He looked around, but the answer was already in front of him. An expensive bottle of hand lotion was sat by one of the sinks. It’s label proudly announced it to be ”organic, cruelty free and perfect for sensitive skin”.

Frank leant over Gerard’s back and pumped a handful of the lotion onto his palm. Gerard watched him, smirking at the absurdity of what they were doing. Frank had to snigger too, he hadn’t used hand lotion since he was a teenager.

“You’re sure about this?” He asked, using his free hand to reach into his back pocket. “You’re not drunk or high or-”

“Fuck Frank, no I’m not drunk or high.” Gerard was starting to sound irritated. He pushed his hips back, forcing Frank to rub against him again and he moaned softly. “Mm… M’sure… I’m really… Really sure…” He was practically purring, sighing every time Frank’s cockhead caught on his rim. “Please… Please, want you inside…”

“Been a while or something?” Frank teased, finding the condom in his pocket and pulling it free. He always came prepared, especially to events such as this.

“You have no idea.” Gerard was sighing, still rolling his hips back. “Want this so… so mu - wait. Wait!” Gerard changed tack so suddenly that Frank almost dropped the condom. He looked at Gerard in the mirror, but the older man was turning his head, looking at Frank over his shoulder.

“We can’t - oh.” His cheeks went pink and he relaxed just as suddenly as he had tensed, smiling when he saw the foil packet Frank had been in the middle of opening with his teeth. “Never mind. Carry on.”

Frank snorted and rolled his eyes, his heart still racing from where Gerard had startled him. He finished freeing the condom and got busy rolling it down his length, making sure Gerard could see it in the mirror.

“I always play safe.” He said simply, and he smiled when he saw the relief on Gerard’s face.

“I’m glad you came prepared.” He admitted, still blushing as he held Frank’s gaze in the mirror. “You were expecting this?”

“This? Hell no.” Frank took a step back so that he could slide his fingers where his cock had been, circling around Gerard’s rim with the lotion. “But, I did hope something might work out tonight.”

“Mhmm... “ Gerard closed his eyes, too embarrassed to watch as Frank eased a finger inside of him, slow and steady. “Y - You… You probably… Hoped for s - someone else…” He mumbled, too far gone to really think about what he was saying.

Frank frowned, watching Gerard in the mirror as he slowly worked his finger inside him. He could clearly hear the insecurity and doubt in Gerard’s voice, and he was surprised by how much pain it ignited in his own chest. He twisted his finger, seeking out Gerard’s prostate.

“I didn’t hope for anyone specific.” He said clearly, pressing his finger down as if hooking towards Gerard’s navel. He grinned when Gerard’s hips twitched and his sigh came out high-pitched and strained, letting Frank know he was touching right where he needed to be. “But this is better than anything I could have expected.”

As soon as Frank said it he knew it was true. Gerard blinked his eyes open just long enough to look at Frank’s reflection, searching his eyes. He blushed hard when he realised he was being honest and just like that, all of the fight dissolved from him.

“Frankie…” He whispered, closing his eyes again and tipping his head back. He inhaled shakily, rocked his hips back and then released his breath in a long, wanton moan. He clenched around Frank’s finger, drawing him in deeper, his whole body surrendering like flicking a switch.

Frank was in awe. He watched intently as he worked in a second finger, holding Gerard’s cheeks apart with his other hand. He sought his prostate out again, rubbing firmly over it. Gerard responded beautifully, gasping and moaning and rocking back against Frank’s fingers, begging him wordlessly for more. He didn’t need building up into it like other people Frank had slept with, he fell into the pleasure without thought or hesitation, letting it consume him.

Frank would have even thought he was faking it, only he could feel the way Gerard was clenching around his fingers, and no one could fake the blush that went all the way down his neck before being hidden by his shirt.

“Fuck, you are so stunning.” Frank had always thought that Mr Way was attractive, but this was something else. He would never be able to concentrate at work again.

“Hurry up, Frank, please.” Gerard was so breathless he could barely speak. “Want you inside… Need you inside, now.” He pushed back, groaning and whimpering until Frank relented and slipped his fingers away.

“Alright.” Frank wanted to question him, make absolutely sure he was ready, but Gerard seemed to like it rough and curiosity got the better of Frank.

Another pump of hand lotion served to slick Frank’s length and then he lined himself up. He pushed into Gerard slowly to begin with, taking his time and easing into him carefully. Gerard arched his back and lifted his chin, showing Frank the length of his throat in the mirror as he moaned long and low.

Frank held the base of his erection to steady himself as he sank into Gerard, but once he was halfway there he moved his hands to Gerard’s hips instead, holding him hard enough to leave bruises.

“Ooh… F - Fuck… You’re so… B - Big…” Gerard blushed over how cliché he sounded, but it was true. Frank was thicker than any of his previous partners, and it had been a while since he’d done this at all. He could feel his muscles burning as he stretched, aching as Frank opened him up.

Frank had to clench his teeth and tense his muscles to keep himself under control, pushing carefully into Gerard even as he yearned to slam his hips forward. It felt like it took forever before he was fully seated inside him.

“Gerard…” Frank drew a long breath in and then released it just as slowly. Gerard was so hot and tight around him that it was all he could do not to come undone already. He shifted his hips and planted his feet, getting himself composed and steady before trying a gentle thrust.

“Frankie…” Gerard’s voice had turned into a whine again, his eyes still tightly closed. “Please fuck me… Fuck me hard…” Gerard sounded so desperate that his voice was breaking again, his body starting to tremble. “Please Frankie!”

Frank pulled back and slammed his hips forward hard enough to make Gerard’s gasp catch in his throat. Frank smirked and tightened his hold on Gerard’s hips, pulling him back to meet his next thrust and causing them both to moan loudly. The drag of Frank’s cock inside of Gerard was euphoric.

Frank began to thrust in earnest, building up into a rhythm that was deeper than it was fast, drawing out only a few inches each time before slamming back in.

Gerard hunched over the counter and spread his legs wider, displaying himself for Frank. He moaned quietly in the back of his throat, muttering fuck and yes every time Frank’s sit bones connected with Gerard’s thighs.

Frank watched his cock disappearing in and out of Gerard for a few seconds, admiring the stretch of his rim around his girth. The lotion lubricant was white and creamy, and looked enough like cum for Frank to be having fantasies about fucking Gerard bare, taking him several times in a row without cleaning up in between. It was filthy and obscene, but fuck if it wasn’t getting Frank off.

In fact, Frank could feel his balls tightening as his orgasm threatened to take him too soon. He forced himself to stop admiring the place their bodies connected and instead looked into the mirror, smirking when he saw that Gerard still had his eyes closed.

“Open your eyes.” Frank growled, lifting one hand to grab hold of Gerard’s hair and yank his head back.

Gerard gasped and moaned, his hole tightening around Frank and giving away just how much Gerard loved having his hair pulled. He groaned when Frank yanked it again, snarling at him to look into the mirror.

“I want you to see yourself getting fucked.” He told Gerard, his voice husky with arousal. “Want you to see me fucking you.”

Gerard forced his eyes open, gasping and sobbing with pleasure as Frank ploughed into him. He loved being told what to do, loved the commanding edge to Frank’s voice. It made his cock spurt precum which dripped over his glans and down the underside of his length.

“F - Frankie-” Gerard stared through half lidded eyes at his own reflection, astonished by the look of pure pleasure contorting his features. Frank looked beautiful behind him, fucking into him with calculated force, just enough to make him really feel it without hurting him. The hand in his hair was yanking his head back enough to make him bend at the spine, and the ache in his bones only served to turn him on even more.

“Don’t you make a pretty picture?” Frank whispered, holding Gerard’s gaze in the mirror. He pulled ever harder on his hair, forcing him to bend until he was standing with his ass pushed back. Frank pressed his chest to Gerard’s back, holding his hair so tightly it burned.

“You like my cock in you Gerard?” He whispered, his teeth against Gerard’s ear, their eyes locked in the glass. “Like the way I fuck you?”

“Y - Yes… Yes…” Gerard sounded weak and needy, his voice high and broken. He pushed back against Frank, trying to get him deeper, deeper inside. “Fuck Frank, don’t stop.”

“I’m gonna make you cum.” Frank promised, his voice a low growl as he pistoned his hips faster and faster, losing control as he got closer and closer to the edge. “Want you to watch yourself when you cum… Don’t fucking take your eyes off yourself…” There was a threat in there somewhere, and Gerard could only imagine what sort of punishment he might get if he didn’t do as he was told.

Wondering whether Frank was the spanking type or the whipping type was enough to have Gerard crying his name, wailing as he came hard all over his own stomach and shirt.

Frank gasped and slammed his hips harder into him, holding still so he could feel each delicious clench of Gerard’s muscles as he came. He kept his eyes on his reflection, just as Frank had told him to, watching his own cum shoot first up over himself, and then gradually less forcefully onto the sink counter, and then finally on the floor.

Frank was just as enraptured, his lips parted as he stared in the mirror. The sight of them both, almost fully dressed and tangled around each other was intoxicating. That Gerard was now sagging against Frank’s chest, his body glowing from his orgasm, was just another detail that made Frank’s stomach swoop.

“F - Frank…” Gerard’s eyes fluttered, his body weak. “Are you close?”

“Yeah.” Frank was breathless, his body roasting in his jumper. “Yeah, I am.”

“I want you to come…” Gerard stared at Frank in the mirror, his eyes heavy lidded. “Please… Want to feel it…”

Frank groaned and tucked his face into Gerard’s neck, still gripping his hair to hold him firmly against his body. He thrust up, grinding into Gerard and letting himself let go completely, allowing his orgasm to rise through him.

Gerard moaned and sobbed as Frank bit and suck at his neck, fucking him harder and faster than ever as he lost control and chased his pleasure over the edge. When he came, Frank was all but silent, huffing a soft breath against Gerard’s neck and holding still until he had emptied into the condom.

For a minute they were both too dizzy and breathless to move. Frank felt utterly spent, tingling with the kind of satisfaction only the most intense orgasm could bring. He opened his eyes slowly, wincing when he pulled his softening cock out of Gerard.

Immediately, Gerard sagged against the counter and closed his eyes. He was breathing hard, his back rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. His knees weakened to the point that he slipped halfway to the floor and Frank had to wrap his arms around his waist to steady him.

“Hey… Hey, you okay?” Frank lifted Gerard away from the counter and sank down onto the floor with him. He was grateful they were in the ladies toilets - they were also cleaner than the mens - and the floor seemed to be heated underneath. Frank wondered again where they were, but it wasn’t the time to ask.

“Mm…” Gerard used the counter for support, leaning against it as he waited for his heart to stop racing. He ran his fingers through his hair, teasing it back into something mildly passable. Once that was done, he opened his eyes but avoided Frank’s gaze, focusing instead on his clothes as he tucked himself away and fixed his suit.

“Gerard?” Guilt was starting to eat into Frank, swallowing the afterglow of his orgasm and replacing it with a deep sense of foreboding. “Mr Way?”

Gerard still didn’t look at Frank as he got to his feet. He seemed to be composing much quicker than Frank was. He found his tie and jacket and slung them both over one arm, heading to the door without a backward glance.

“Wait a second!” Frank hurried to his feet, scrambling to do up his jeans and neaten his jumper as Gerard unlocked the door. “Shouldn’t we talk about what just happened?”

“I don’t think so.” Gerard sounded cold and calm again, yanking the door open and stepping into the corridor. “Be at the office at eight tomorrow morning to sort the Kelsey manuscript, it will only take a minute.”

Frank felt like someone had just suckerpunched him in the gut. He shook his head, bewildered.

“Mr Way -” Frank tried to follow Gerard, but his boss turned on him by the elevator and scowled.

“It might be best if you take the stairs.” He said pointedly. “Good night Iero.”

Frank was too astounded to speak. He watched as Mr Way stepped into the elevator and selected the button for the ground floor. He met Frank’s eyes for a single heartbeat, and Frank saw the faintest of blushes start to creep onto his cheeks before the doors slid shut.

“Good night Mr Way.” Frank mumbled to himself, scowling and pulling his jumper sleeves over his hands before he turned and went in search of the stairs.

*

When Frank arrived at the office the next morning, his anxiety was so severe it was a miracle he had made it to work without throwing up. He was even early. And had stopped off to buy coffee - two this time, one for himself and one for Mr Way.

Frank was pretty sure coffee was not going to appease his boss, but it couldn’t make things worse. He had been awake all night trying to work out what the hell had happened and how he should handle it. All he had done was tie himself up in mental knots, until his head ached and his eyes itched with the need to sleep.

He had half hoped that the harsh light of day might shine some clarity on the situation, but it hadn’t. It had only made Frank’s headache worse, and though he swallowed some aspirin with his morning juice, it hadn’t taken the edge off.

In the end, Frank had been eager to get to work just to try and make sense of everything. He arrived half an hour early, even with his coffee run, but as he stepped into the office it was to discover that Gerard had still beaten him there.

“Ah, Frank.” Mr Way was dressed in his usual suit, despite the fact the office was closed and they would only be there a moment. Frank had come as casually as possible, in ripped jeans and a baggy Iron Maiden shirt that he only ever wore when he was sick or depressed. “Thank you for coming in today, and so promptly too.”

There was the faintest hint of amusement in Mr Way’s voice that didn’t quite match his expression. He looked Frank over, briefly, and then turned away again to walk to Frank’s desk.

“I just need you to get the file onto the USB and then you can go.”

Frank stood still for a moment longer, just staring at the man in front of him. This, Frank realised, was Mr Way. But Mr Way was not the same man as Gerard. And Iero was not the same man as Frankie, though Frank wasn’t sure which of those he was today yet.

“I brought you coffee.” Frank held up the two cups and walked slowly to join Mr Way at his desk. “Latte with an extra shot, right?”

Mr Way looked genuinely surprised and some of his guard slipped as he accepted the paper cup with a nod. He stared at Frank as if he was trying to make sense of something, even as Frank turned away and slid into his chair, rolling it closer to his desk.

“How did you know?” Mr Way asked quietly, sipping the coffee; his heart swooped. “You added sugar?”

“Yeah, one.” Frank shrugged one shoulder, tapping his password into the white box on the screen. “It is one, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Mr Way was starting to sound a little more like Gerard, his voice softening. “I… I didn’t know you… Knew that.”

“We’ve worked together for two years.” Frank said simply, as if that explained it, which of course it didn’t. Frank had worked with everyone else on their floor for two years as well but he didn’t know any of their coffee orders. He supposed it was just a bit of information he had heard in passing one time and for whatever reason had just… remembered it.

“You have the stick?” Frank didn’t look up as he held his hand out, his other hand working the mouse to find the Kelsey file in his documents. Mr Way passed him the USB, watching silently as Frank transferred the file.

The whole process took less than a minute, and all too soon Frank was passing the stick back, looking up at Gerard with a carefully neutral expression.

“Want to check it on your computer before I go?” He asked, his heart racing just to be looking into those hazel eyes. Last night, those eyes had been dark and clouded with pleasure, and now they were bright and cold as always.

“Sure.” Gerard turned and walked into his office, his own heart frantic in his chest. He passed his tongue over his lips and tried not to think about how handsome Frank looked right then. There was something about his exhausted, dishevelled appearance that made Gerard want to kiss him.

Instead, he stood at his desk, hunching over slightly to work his computer and slot the USB stick into the drive on the tower.

Frank had followed him and he hovered in the doorway, leaning against the frame and sipping his coffee as he waited. The tension between them was tangible, and Frank was sure Mr Way felt just as awkward as he did.

They both kept quiet as Mr Way opened up the USB drive and checked that the file had transferred over properly this time. Once he was satisfied that it had, he nodded at Frank and forced a smile.

“Perfect, thank you Frank.” He removed the drive and shut his computer down, biting his lip when he saw that Frank wasn’t moving. “That’s all I needed. You can go home now - enjoy the holidays.”

“Are we not going to talk about it?” Frank asked bluntly, careful not to show any emotion as Gerard immediately blushed.

“Talk about what?” He asked, feigning innocence.

“About last night.” Frank pushed, undeterred.

“What about last night?” Gerard began shuffling papers around his desk in an obvious attempt to avoid looking at Frank. His cheeks were bright pink and his shoulders had hunched up.

“Seriously?” Frank pushed away from the door and walked into the office, scowling at Gerard. “What about last night? How about, oh I don’t know, how we had amazing sex one minute and then you ran out on me the next?”

“Were you expecting a cuddle on the toilet floor?” Mr Way was clearly embarrassed, and when he spoke his tone was hard and angry. Frank got the feeling he was being defensive, so he tried not to let his own anger flare up.

“I don’t know what I was expecting.” He said, forcing his voice to remain calm. “I wasn’t expecting any of it. Look, I know that you hate me -”

“I’ve never said that.” Mr Way was so surprised that he stopped scowling and softened. He was starting to look guilty instead, and some warmth flickered in his eyes. “What makes you think I hate you?”

“Oh please!” Frank scoffed, striding further into the room and standing at the window overlooking the city. “You’re always snapping at me for this or that. You clearly don’t like me.”

“Now hold on a second.” Gerard put his coffee cup down on his desk and moved to stand beside Frank, scowling at him. “If by snapping at you, you’re referring to all the times I have to pull you up on your sloppiness then-”

“Excuse me?” Frank whirled on Gerard, his anger getting the better of him. “Sloppiness?”

“Yes, sloppiness.” Gerard repeated, hands on hips. “I can’t even begin to list all the times you have been late to work, or missed a deadline, or handed in a manuscript that you clearly have not dedicated any time to. It is so frustrating for me, because I know that you are better than that, but this past year you’ve just been…” Gerard faltered, waving his hands as he tried to think of the right word. Eventually he settled on, “distracted.”

Frank glared at Gerard, his mouth open to retaliate but as he thought about it, and saw the earnest way Gerard was looking at him, he had to admit it was all true. In fact, thinking about it, his first year in the office - when he had worked so hard to impress Mr Way - he had never been in his bad books. Not even once. It had only been this year, after he had -

Frank’s eyes widened as he looked at Gerard and guilt swept through him.

“You’re right.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re right, I’ve been sloppy. Ever since I started sleeping with Jake…” Frank groaned and covered his eyes with his hands, his headache getting worse.

The first time he had ever slept with Jake had been at the Christmas party last year. Their casual fling had lasted ever since. It had never been serious, but it had been… distracting.

“You and Jake are sleeping together?” Mr Way looked surprised for a moment, and then he just looked deflated. Pain filled his eyes and nodded, his jaw tensing. “I see.”

“Not anymore!” Frank was quick to insist, his own cheeks tingeing pink now. “I told him I wasn’t interested anymore yesterday morning. And he said he was bored of me anyway so.” Frank shrugged and tried to laugh but it just came out like a pathetic sob.

Mr Way considered him for a moment, and in the end he sighed. “Well, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out.” He said slowly, uncertain. “But hopefully your work will stop suffering now.”

“Yeah.” Frank agreed.

An awkward silence passed and Frank gazed out of the window to watch the traffic below. He wasn’t sure how their conversation had ended up like this, but he didn’t feel like he had made any sense out of last night and it was still eating at him.

“Gerard - Uh, Mr Way…” Frank sighed and shook his head, not sure how to proceed. “Look. I… I just want to apologise about last night.” It seemed like the right thing to do, but Frank couldn’t look into Gerard’s eyes as he said it .”Obviously I did something to upset you and I’m really sorry that I did. I thought that you were… Ya’ know, into it and if I hurt you or anything then, just know that it wasn’t my intention.”

Frank waited, but when the silence had dragged on for too long he dared to glance at Gerard out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t read the look on his face so Frank turned to face him properly, confused.

“You didn’t upset me.” Gerard sounded confused too, wounded. “And you didn’t hurt me either. Why would you-”

“Well, you ran out so quickly I just thought-”

“I was embarrassed.” Gerard said quickly, then blushed at his own admission. “I’ve been attracted to you for so long that last night I… When you kissed me I just couldn’t control myself and then…” Gerard huffed softly, shaking his head and looking down at his feet. “I don’t normally let guys see the side of me that I showed you last night. Once it was over and I came back to my senses I was just so… ashamed of myself.”

Frank reeled, shocked. He was still trying to process the information that Gerard had been attracted to him, but the word ashamed snapped Frank back into the moment with a jolt.

“You’re ashamed of what we did?” He asked, voice hoarse. “Why?”

“Not what we did.” Gerard blushed, biting his lip. “Just me… I… The way I acted, so… Desperate for it.” He spat the words as if they physically repulsed him. “I’ve just wanted you for so long I…” He trailed off, shaking his head again.

Frank was stunned, but his stomach gave a little flip that wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Gerard was attracted to him. Mr Way was attracted to him. He had wanted him, even when Frank had been slacking on his work and pissing him off, he had wanted him.

He wished desperately that he had ended things with Jake months ago. They had never really been going anywhere, and truthfully Frank had only been interested in the easy sex. If he had just let Jake go, perhaps he and Mr Way would have been on much better terms.

“Gerard,” Frank couldn’t turn back time, but he was determined to make things right, “I know that last night wasn’t exactly planned or… I dunno, expected. But please, please do not feel ashamed about what happened. I was just as desperate as you were, fuck, I couldn’t having fucking stop if I had tried.”

Gerard rolled his eyes, disbelieving, though the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to say that.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I know how I get.”

Frank quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking despite himself. “Yeah well, now I know how you get, would it bother you if I said I’d like to see more of it?”

Gerard rose his eyebrows in surprise, so stunned that he actually couldn’t breathe for a moment. Once the shock wore off he grew sceptical, shaking his head.

“Look, Frank,” he said slowly, using a tone of voice that Frank recognised as the one he used when he was trying to be diplomatic, “there have been a lot of guys in the past who have been attracted to my… uh, submissive tendencies. Or thought they were. But in the end, they always quickly realise it’s too overwhelming for them and-”

Gerard fell silent when Frank tiptoed up and pressed their lips together, hooking his arm around the back of Gerard’s neck. He stepped closer to him, stopping only once their bodies were touching and Gerard began to sink into him.

“Shut up.” Frank whispered, his words gentle. “I don’t care what assholes you’ve been with in the past. I fucking love what we did last night.” He wasn’t sure when he had suddenly stopped hating Gerard and started falling for him instead… Perhaps it had always been that way, but he had been determined not to see it.

Now though, his eyes were open, and they were looking right into Gerard’s.

“Can I at least take you on a date?” He asked softly, brushing his thumb beneath Gerard’s lower lip. “I feel like you owe me that.”

“I owe you that?” Gerard snapped, astounded until he saw the playful grin on Frank’s face and he relaxed, sighing as he rolled his eyes. “Fine. But tomorrow night. I have to sort this manuscript today thanks to your tardiness.”

Frank knew that Gerard was only trying to wind him up, so instead of rising to it he kissed him again and nipped his lower lip with his teeth.

“Point taken.” He whispered, grinning. “I’ll make it up to you.”

*

Gerard sighed and moaned, rolling his head on the pillow and tugging at the restraints that secured his wrists to the headboard of the bed. He yearned to watch Frank, to see the pride that he could hear in his voice shining in his eyes, but he had been blindfolded for half an hour now.

“Frankie…” Gerard arched his back, moaning when Frank pressed another finger inside of him, stretching him across the three digits. “Oh fuck… S’good…”

“Yeah?” Frank’s voice was soft and husky, sounding far away in Gerard’s semi-delirious state. “You like that? Like me opening you up?” He asked, his tongue hot and wet when he licked a path over Gerard’s throat.

“Y - Yeah…” Gerard’s hips twitched up and he whined when Frank still refused to touch the place inside him he wanted him most. “Frankie… Please…”

Frank glanced at the analogue clock on the bedside table and relented, shifting his fingers to finally brush over Gerard’s prostate. Immediately the older man gasped and arched off the bed, widening his legs and sobbing with pleasure.

Frank had to bite back his own moans, still not used to how responsive Gerard was. He was sure they could continue doing this for years and he still wouldn’t be used to it. As of tonight - New years eve - they had been sleeping together for two weeks.

Frank was already hopelessly smitten. He had never fallen so fast for anyone before. It was hard to believe he had ever disliked his boss. Although they hadn’t worked together since this had started, Frank was looking forward to getting back to work. Because now, even if Mr Way did tell him off for something in the office, Frank knew that when they left for the night, the power would shift.

In fact, the thought of being told off at work by Mr Way kind of turned him on now. Because he knew that at the end of each day, they would go home together, and Frank would get his own back in the best way, and Gerard would beg him for it.

Frank glanced at the time again and worked his fingers more firmly inside of Gerard, massaging over his prostate and making him whine with pleasure. He watched, utterly fascinated, as pearls of semen oozed from Gerard’s tip and smeared over his stomach. He looked beautiful, naked and stretched out, tied up and blindfolded and whimpering all for Frank. It was intoxicating.

“You know what I think I’m going to do?” Frank mused, talking softly as he rubbed his fingers inside of Gerard. “I think… I’m going to make you cum just like this… With my fingers inside of you, and my mouth on your cock.” Frank flicked his tongue over Gerard’s throat to emphasise his point. “If I make you cum at midnight, we can start next year with you coming undone just for me, can’t we?”

The moan that Gerard gave in answer was all the affirmation that Frank needed. He grinned to himself and sucked a mark onto Gerard’s neck - another to go with all the others he had been littering his skin with the last couple of weeks.

Gerard groaned and tipped his head to the side, giving Frank more access. He loved his marks, loved feeling possessed.

Frank grinned and moved to Gerard’s lips next, stealing a hungry kiss from him. He used his free hand to nudge the blindfold up and away from Gerard’s eyes, still sipping at his lips as Gerard blinked and squinted, his eyes adjusting to the light in the room.

“Mm… Frankie?”

“I want you to look at me when you cum…” Frank whispered, and his words alone had Gerard clenching hard around his fingers. “I’m going to suck your cock now,” Frank grinned devilishly, “you’re free to cum whenever you like - after midnight.”

Gerard groaned and nodded, tensing his muscles slightly as Frank began kissing down his body. Orgasm delay was not something that Gerard had been required to do for years, but sometimes he would work it into his masturbation, and recently he’d been trying to get back into it so that he could please Frank.

He loved the feeling of holding off, keeping himself from tipping through sheer determination and the desire to please. He wasn’t sure he would manage it tonight though, not when he was already so close, leaking ejaculate all over his stomach.

Frank wasn’t going easy on him either. He continued to work three fingers over his prostate, manipulating the nerves with an expert hand. He kissed down Gerard’s midline until he reached the pool of shining liquid and he slowly, so slowly, licked it all away.

Gerard’s cock throbbed and another string of cum was gathered up by Frank’s waiting tongue. Gerard watched him, his eyes hazy, barely even aware that he was moaning Frank’s name almost continuously.

Frank looked up at him and grinned in a way that Gerard had started associating with torturous, mind-blowing sex. He was done for.

“Remember… After midnight.” Frank warned him, right before he used his tongue to hook beneath Gerard’s cock and lift it into his waiting mouth.

Gerard gasped and groaned, bucking his hips once before he managed to force them back down.

Frank’s mouth was searing hot over him, the flat of his tongue pressed to his shaft and licking over every inch of him. He hollowed his cheeks and sucked, never taking his eyes off Gerard as he bobbed his head and swirled his tongue around his glans.

Gerard’s moans were catching in his throat, his whole body tensing with the effort of not cumming. He couldn’t take his eyes off Frank, even though watching him was making it harder and harder to stop himself from tipping.

Frank could tell Gerard was close, his cock was throbbing heavily on his tongue and he could taste him cum in his mouth as he continued to leak preejaculate. He slowed down, lifting his mouth off of him and instead just cradled the head of his cock against his tongue, holding him there as he worked his fingers steadily over his prostate.

Gerard’s mouth hung open as he panted, his toes curling. He had no idea how close midnight was, but he was sure he wasn’t going to make it. His heart was racing and he could feel a bead of sweat rolling down his neck. He was so close that he could see the twitches in his cock, could feel how tightly his balls had drawn up to his body.

“F - Frankie… I d - don’t think I…”

“You can.” Frank whispered, leaning up just enough to look properly into Gerard’s eyes, his fingers starting to slow too. “Just a minute more Gee… Just one minute. You can do that for me can’t you?” He whispered, his voice soft and soothing, coaxing Gerard into breathing deeply. “Just relax… Breathe… One minute and you can cum… You do this for me, and I’ll reward you…”

Gerard whined, his hips twitching up again but he forced them back down. He nodded his head, trembling all over. He was still sure he couldn’t do it, especially when Frank bent over his cock and started sucking him again, working his fingers inside of him with more speed.

Fuck, was he trying to make him spend early? Gerard was sure he must be, because every sensation was tugging harder and harder at his impending orgasm, dragging it over him no matter how much he tried to claw it back.

“Oh God, F - Frankie… Frankie no-” Gerard sobbed and rolled his head, yanking at his restraints until the tie rubbed raw at his wrists. He tried to use the pain to stem his climax, but it only fired him up more. “Frank I can’t!”

Outside, the streets of New York were filled with people, waiting for the ball to drop and close the year. Gerard had zoned out the noise of their revelry hours ago, but it came back to him then as the countdown began.

Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…

Gerard’s nerves were on fire, his whole body tacky with sweat. He was leaking so much cum over Frank’s tongue he feared he was too late, but he could still feel his orgasm, dangerously close but not quite there. It gnawed at him, burning through his veins.

Six… Five… Four… Three…

Oh God, he was going to cum, he was going to cum and it wasn’t midnight yet. Just two more seconds. Two seconds. Gerard clenched every muscle in his body, his breathing coming to a stop as he balanced on a knife edge.

Two… One… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gerard let go with a scream, his back bending as everything in him surrendered to the pressure that shot through him like a spring releasing. He sobbed Frank’s name, beside himself with the relief of his orgasm he spilt heavily into Frank’s mouth.

Frank never took his eyes off Gerard, watching in pure adoration as he swallowed around him and took every drop he had to give. He worked his fingers over his prostate still, milking him until even he was surprised by how much he gave. He sat back after a moment, watching in amazement as his fingers coaxed at more and more ejaculate, until at long last Gerard sank against the bed, shuddering.

“Fuck… That was amazing…” Frank withdrew his fingers slowly, careful not to hurt Gerard. He looked at his rim, swollen and red, and decided he would have his tongue there before the night was through. But first he crawled up Gerard’s body and kissed him, pushing his tongue into his mouth to make him taste himself.

Gerard whined softly and let his jaw fall, groaning as Frank swirled their tongues together. If he hadn’t just had the most mind-numbing orgasm of his life his cock might have eve been interested. As it was, he was sure he would never feel the need for sex ever again.

“You were so good for me Gee,” Frank whispered, moving his kisses to Gerard’s cheekbones and jaw, peppering his skin with soft presses of his lips. “You held on even though you were so close… I’m so pleased…” Frank smiled softly when Gerard shivered and sank even further into the mattress.

Frank knew that Gerard loved to be talked to like this after sex; to be assured that he had pleased Frank, to be held and kissed and brought back to himself gradually. Frank untied his bonds and gently massaged Gerard’s arms as he drew them down around him, curling happily against Gerard’s chest.

“Happy new year Gee.” He whispered, smiling up at him.

Gerard sighed and managed a tired smile in return. He shared a soft, exhausted kiss with Frank and idly tangled their legs together. He could feel that Frank was hard, and just like that, he decided he was interested in sex after all.

“Frankie…” Gerard slid a hand down to cup Frank’s erection, stroking him firmly. “What do you want me to do?”

Frank sighed and bit his lip, closing his eyes as he enjoyed Gerard’s touch for a moment. It was glorious on his aching cock, but with a supreme amount of effort he nudged Gerard’s hands away.

“Later… Let’s watch the fireworks first.” He suggested, smiling to show he was more than content and stealing another kiss from Gerard’s lips. He knew that Gerard needed time to come down first, and they had all night to indulge in each other. Frank could wait.

Gerard looked sceptical at first, his heart racing. He wanted to please Frank, he didn’t want to leave him hard and neglected; but Frank smiled at him so confidently, and his hands were so gently as he pulled Gerard from the bed, that he found himself following him anyway.

Frank picked up the bottle of water he had left on the bedside cabinet and then walked to the window seat that overlooked the busy street below. He settled down against the pillows balanced up the wall and patted the seat between his legs. Gerard smiled and obediently sat down between his thighs, resting his back against Frank’s chest.

Frank pulled the blanket around them, tucking them both in and passing Gerard the water bottle. Gerard took it without question and drained half of it before letting Frank take the rest.

Outside, the night sky was alight with fireworks and the ground was a glittering mass of strangers with light up headbands and jewellery. The sound of the fireworks exploding and the cheering of the crowd was muffled, and the two men watched it like a dream.

Frank smiled as Gerard settled more comfortably against him, his nose brushing into his hair. He couldn’t remember the last time New Years had held such promise and hope for him, and he never would have imagined he would feel it this year all because of his boss.

“Gee…” Frank smiled as he inhaled Gerard’s scent, losing himself in it for a moment.

“Mm?”

“When we go back to work…” Frank brushed his fingers slowly over Gerard’s stomach, drawing patterns on his skin. “Are we going to tell people about us?”

Gerard tensed for a second, and when he spoke his voice was guarded. “We don’t have to do that. It’s still early days…”

“What if I want to?” Frank asked, keeping his tone casual.

Gerard hesitated a second, but slowly he turned so that he could look into Frank’s eyes. He melted to see the sincerity in them and he began to smile, unable to stop the flood of excitement he felt.

“Do you want to?” He asked quietly.

Frank grinned, his eyes sparkling. “Depends… How do you feel about the word ‘boyfriend’?”

Gerard wrinkled his nose up, trying not to laugh. “I think it’s juvenile.” He said honestly, having always thought that partner sounded more adult. But Frank had such sparkling, youthful eyes, it didn’t fit. “But if it’s with you… I guess I could grow to like it.” He conceded.

Frank laughed and pulled Gerard in close, caressing his face between his hands. “Good. Better start getting used to it.” He told him, and Gerard’s own laugh was silenced by their lips coming together in a warm, passionate kiss.