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Burnie had just finished dinner when his doorbell rang suddenly. He jumped and looked out his front window; nobody was parked in front of his house, all he saw was the pouring rain drenching his front yard.
The doorbell rang again and he stood up from the table, calling out “I’m coming!” as he walked to the front door. He opened it and Ray stood there, soaked to the bone and shivering lightly.
“Holy shit, Ray, did you walk here?!” Burnie shouted, pulling him in by the wrist and slamming the door shut. “C’mon, you need to get out of those wet clothes, right now.”
“I have an extra set in my bag, I knew it was gonna be a soggy walk,” he mumbled, handing Burnie his backback.
“Stay here, let me get you a towel.” He set the backpack down on a dining room chair as he passed and jogged to the bathroom, grabbed a big fluffy blue towel, and jogged back to Ray. “Now what the hell were you doing walking here in this weather? Why didn’t you call me?!”
“I didn’t walk the whole way, just from where we had dinner,” Ray said, stripping his shirt off over his head and trading with Burnie for the towel. “I went out with the Ramseys and Gavin tonight.”
Burnie raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. Ray swallowed at the stern look and tossed the towel over his head, drying his hair. “They offered to drive me but I wanted to think about what I needed to say to you.”
He draped the towel over his shoulders, pulled an envelope out of his pocket, and handed it to Burnie before continuing to dry off. “Gavin slipped this to me at the office.”
Burnie stared at it, more shocked that it was mostly dry than at Gavin’s scribbly handwriting, and ran his thumb over the ragged edge at the top where Ray had ripped it open.
“You can read it, I don’t mind. It’s about you anyway,” Ray said, sliding his pants and underwear down his legs, stepping out of them and wrapping the towel around his waist. “I’m gonna go hang up my wet things.”
He collected his wet clothes and walked off to the bathroom, leaving the older man standing in front of the door, letter in his hands. Burnie sighed and pulled the paper out, unfolding it carefully and reading the small handwriting.
Ray—
I know. He told me.
I want you to know that I’m not mad. We talked about it and we decided that we need to stop. Treat him well, he was always kind to me and he adores you.
Thank you for not being a prick about it.
—Gavin
Burnie wiped a hand over his mouth and turned to look down the hallway. Ray was just leaving the bathroom and met Burnie’s gaze. He sighed and walked up to him, taking the letter and replacing it in the envelope. “What did you talk about?” he asked quietly.
“Ray—”
“No, Burnie. I was thinking about things and this whole situation has been sneaky and I don’t like it. The only honest one between the three of us was Gavin and that sucks. If you and I are going to be together, then this needs to stop. Right here.” Ray’s brown eyes were watery, and Burnie couldn’t tell if it was from being in the rain or from fighting back tears.
“C’mon, let’s sit down. I’ll tell you everything. I promise.” Burnie motioned to the living room, and Ray walked past him, tucking his towel around his waist a little closer.
———
“Then we got up in the morning, talked about everything in further depth, and that was it. He wants to pursue things with Barbara and that leaves us.” Burnie ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
Ray was thoroughly dry but he hadn’t bothered getting dressed, choosing to toss the damp towel on the recliner and wrap a fleece throw around his waist in its place. He stared at his hands in his lap for a moment, then looked up to the older man. “And where does that leave us?”
Burnie coughed. “Well… I don’t know. I like what we’re doing—”
“No secrets.” Ray’s voice was firm and his hands balled into fists.
Burnie moved from the couch to the loveseat and placed a hand on Ray’s knee. “Fine, no secrets. I promise, I’ll be honest with you—”
“No.” Ray pushed the hand away and stood up, clutching the blanket around his waist and pacing around the living room. “I don’t want to be a secret. Four years ago Gavin was barely legal and you were married. You had reasons. Now those reasons are gone and I won’t be treated like that.”
“You’ve been fine until now…” Burnie said curiously.
“Because I was the one being an asshole. I was trying to blackmail you. I don’t want to do that anymore and I want things to be better and we both need to work at it.” Ray heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his head with his free hand. “Look, I was a bastard, and I’m sorry for it. You’re a good guy and you deserve better. And I’d like to think that I’m a good guy and that I deserve better too.”
Burnie swallowed and blinked. “What do you want from me?”
“No more bullshit,” the younger man told him. “You already have me, Burns. You have for a while. But I haven’t had you, not ever, and all I want is for you to give me a chance.”
“At what?”
“At being your boyfriend.”
The word hung heavy in the air. Burnie looked around at everything he possibly could to avoid Ray’s gaze, but the younger man didn’t move a muscle. He could feel the brown eyes boring holes into him, and when he ran out of things to look at, he met them and bit his lip.
“But I’m not—”
“Not what, Burnie? Not ready for a commitment? Not prepared to make the jump from fuck buddies? No, wait, I know, you’re not gay.” Ray furiously stomped over to the dining room and started pulling his dry clothes out of his backpack.
Burnie followed and reached for his shoulder. “Ray, I’m sorry.”
Ray dodged his grasp and put his shirt on. “This whole thing started in blackmail and lies and bullshit. I would rather have it end right now when we’re being honest than in 6 months when I’m nothing more than your cumslut and you’ve been lying to me.” He tossed the blanket at Burnie and stepped into his shorts and socks, then winced as his shoes squelched as he pulled them on.
Burnie threw the blanket behind him on the floor and stepped closer to Ray. “Please stay. For me.”
Ray froze, one hand on the strap for his backpack. In all the times they’d been together, even the three nights he’d slept over, Burnie never downright asked him to stay. It was always a joke or a poorly disguised excuse, but never an admission of need.
The bigger man reached for his hand. “You deserve a chance. I’m willing to give you one, but I have things I need to work out. I could use your help. Please, don’t leave.” His voice was sad.
Ray slid his hand into Burnie’s and slowly clasped it. “Okay… okay.” He stepped closer to Burnie, shoes squishing and leaking water everywhere, and wrapped an arm around his waist. “I’m here.”
Burnie wrapped his arm around Ray’s shoulders and kissed him on the top of the head. “What do you say we make some popcorn and watch a movie?”
The smaller man looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “Like a date?”
“Maybe. A little one. To see how it goes.”
Ray smirked and nodded. “Yeah, alright. But I never put out on the first date.”
———
The Achievement Hunter office was quiet, the five men working on various videos, when the door opened suddenly. “Hey guys,” Burnie said, strolling in non-chalantly, hands behind his back.
Ray looked up from his monitor. “Hey Burns.”
“Hey Narvaez.” Burnie walked over to him and pulled his hand out from behind his back, laying a single rose on his keyboard. “Thanks for last night.”
“Aw, you shouldn’t have,” Ray said, smiling.
“The other eleven are at my house. Come for dinner if you want them.” Burnie bent down and kissed Ray on the cheek, then left the office.
Ray looked around the room and blushed furiously as he saw the stares. Michael, Jack, and Geoff were slack-jawed, but Gavin was positively beaming at him.
“Shut up,” Ray mumbled, and turned back to his editing.