It was raining again.

Thick droplets of water smacked against large glass windows with great ferocity. Strong winds forced leaves to blow in random directions, some of them hitting the surfaces of other buildings. Flashes of lightning made fleeting appearances before disappearing. They left behind fierce thunder in their wake.

A large analog clock displayed the time. 6:17. Part of the six was hidden by a well placed glare from one of the overhead lights. Long bulbs kept the room bright and tinted it a pale yellowish color.

Multiple employees were sitting at a long, oval shaped table. Papers and folders littered the wooden surface. A few people had their arms crossed on top of it. Mugs and disposable cups of coffee were placed nearby as well.

It was a familiar scene that came about whenever board meetings commenced.

Alessandro's mind was cluttered as he fiddled with a capped pen. His folder was open, but he wasn't actively looking at its contents. Rampant thoughts forced his mind to be elsewhere. The facade of Mr. Bale made it easier to keep his expression painted as neutral.

He still couldn't believe that he kissed Lance. That things got so heated. That they almost...

Alessandro was partially thankful that they were in a public setting when the ordeal happened. Because had everything happened in the comfortable privacy of the Bale household, chances of things escalating even further were pretty high.

Had a certain call of his name not pulled him out of the moment, they probably would've ended the night by sleeping together.

He felt guilty.

He was also very confused.

Neither of them were drunk enough to not be mindful of their actions, so they knew what they were doing. It didn't make sense that the experience was enjoyable for both parties.

Sure, Lance and Alessandro were friends. And yeah, a bit of casual flirting made its way into their conversations every now and again. But that was just for fun. Even though last night was more than amazing, they'd never talked about doing things like... that. It wasn't even something Alessandro considered because of the mess that became of their last relationship.

He couldn't deny that he wanted more though. Last night's make out session was addictive from the very moment it started. It felt right too.

Being that close to Lance. Holding him. Breathing in every exhale. Soaking up every gorgeous moan.

But as far as Alessandro was concerned, all of that was taboo. Because he couldn't say whether or not Lance wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with anyone.

"All right, everyone, I think we should take some time to unwind," Stephan announced while getting up. "Does a ten minute break sound good before continuing?"

Multiple agreements were given from around the room. People slumped in their chairs with exhausted sighs. Others took long sips from their coffees.

Five straight hours of important business talk definitely made those reactions appropriate.

"Mr. Bale, could I speak to you for a moment?"

Alessandro nodded halfheartedly. He followed Stephan out into the hallway that led to the main lobby. It was quiet between them. Pounding rain sounded even heavier now that they were in a longer, more echoed space.

"I'm sorry if this is too frank, but what's going on with you?" Stephan questioned with a hushed voice. "You're not usually like this. And while I understand off days can happen, I'm just concerned that you're not taking care of yourself. I just don't want-"

"I kissed Lance."

Any statement of concern or worry was immediately halted. Brown eyes widened in clear shock. "You... what?"

"Last night," Alessandro explained, "we went out for drinks. Y'know, just to hang out. Enjoy the weather. It was nice. We had a lot of fun- even went dancing. One thing led to another though, and I kissed him."

"Did he- I mean, did he return the favor?"

"With quite the amount of fervency. But that just makes all of this so confusing."

"...Were feelings attached?"

"In my case... kind of. In his case, I don't know. I honestly don't even want to know the answer because that'll just make this whole ordeal worse."

"Why?" Stephan questioned. "If he likes you in that way, shouldn't it be a good thing? With the way things look-"

"Our last relationship ended because of me," Alessandro interrupted. "Lance told me he didn't want to fix that. That he didn't want to fix what we used to have. He wants us to focus on having a new relationship- different from our previous one."

Stephan hummed in understanding. He leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles over each other. He took a moment to formulate his thoughts before speaking again. "Wanting a new relationship doesn't necessarily mean it can't be romantic."

That's... not something Alessandro really thought about. It wasn't something he actively considered. He was more concerned about not stepping over any boundaries for the sake of keeping things civil. For the sake of not getting too attached.

Thinking about it now though, he could see that he failed at that as soon as he accepted Lance's request to work for the Bale company.

"I'm just saying," Stephan continued, "if he kissed you back, that must mean he feels something for you. Whether it be emotional or purely physical though, well, you guys should talk that out. Have you spoken to him since?"

"...No."

"You should. Running around each other isn't going to do anything for either of you. Talk to him. You may be surprised by what he has to say."

Alessandro aimed to reply, but he paused when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He excused himself and walked further down the hall for some privacy. Upon looking at the ID, he was shocked to see Lance's contact name. The call was accepted without hesitation.

"Andro..."

Lance's voice wavered and broke. It sounded husky. Scratchy too—as if he had been yelling recently.

Raindrops hitting glass could be heard faintly in the background. So could muffled booming of thunder.

"Lance? Hey- are you okay?"

"No. I-" He sniffled. "I need your help."

"Of course. Can you tell me what's going on?" Alessandro asked.

"Donovan came home all pissy, and we got into an argument. Long story short, he- he kicked me out. And I just- I need somewhere to go. I know this is out of the blue, but I didn't know who else to call-"

"Where are you?"

"What..?"

"Where are you?" he repeated. "I'll come pick you up, and we can sort this all out at my house."

"I thought you had a meeting today?"

"To hell with the meeting. I can get Stephan to cover for me for the rest of it- it's almost over either way. You need me. That's more important right now."

"...I'm at that café across from the office. I didn't know of any other place that'd be open where I could wait out. One of the nice ladies behind the counter is getting me something warm to drink. She seemed worried. Considering how fucking drenched I am, I don't blame her."

"Do you have any of your belongings with you?"

"Just what I could fit into my duffel bag."

"Okay." Alessandro nodded to himself. "I want you to go change your clothes in the bathroom- we don't want you to get sick. I just need to grab my stuff and get the car ready. I'll meet you there. I just need two minutes."

"...Thank you, Andro."

"No thanks needed, Lance. I'll see you soon."

Alessandro ended the phone call. He ran down the hall back toward the meeting room.

After being informed of the situation, Stephan gladly took the reins for the meeting as it was an emergency. He promised to leave any necessary material in his lockable filing cabinet before bidding a gentle goodbye. Alessandro grabbed his other belongings and booked it downstairs.

He ran over to his car which sat on the ground level of the parking garage. A red umbrella was tossed into the passenger seat alongside a thin rain jacket. The heat was cranked up to ensure that Lance would be warm enough when he got inside.

Alessandro pulled into a vacant spot in front of the café. The umbrella and jacket were grabbed again. He left the car running to keep the heat on. Fast steps were taken toward the establishment. He didn't pay any mind to puddles that dampened the lower lengths of his pants.

Upon the overhead bell ringing, Jené looked up. She was messing around with part of her black apron. Her lips were pursed, and her short curls were messy. Probably from running her hands through them.

"Hi, Jené. I'm sorry to come in here in such a hurry. I just need to pick someone up."

"Dude with black hair and piercings, right? What's his name?"

"Lance."

"He's still changing. Poor guy came in here dripping wet." She reached for an enclosed cup to hand over. "This is for him. It's hot chocolate. He looked like he could use it."

Alessandro took the cup and set it on the counter. He pulled out a twenty dollar bill, handing the money to Jené directly. She tried to refuse the gesture; but when he said it was for being so helpful, she hesitantly accepted it.

Approaching footsteps alerted them to another presence. They both looked toward the restrooms and saw Lance walking over.

He was wearing a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a black long sleeve. His boots were muddy and his hair was still dripping wet. His face was tinged red, most likely from walking around in the cold rain. Luckily, his blue and black duffel bag appeared water resistant, so it was pretty dry.

Alessandro walked over with the hot chocolate in hand. He handed it over while also draping his jacket over Lance's trembling shoulders. A quick goodbye was given to Jené before the two men exited the small café under the safety of a large umbrella.

Lance snuggled into the jacket as soon as he settled into his seat. He nursed his beverage as a means of stealing its warmth. Small sips were taken. Quiet sniffles filled up the silent interior of the car.

"I'm sorry about all this, Andro."

"Don't be ridiculous. You couldn't control his dumbass want to be a dickhead. I don't mind helping you- especially when you really need it."

Lance hummed noncommittally in response.

"It's okay," Alessandro added. "We don't have to talk about this now. Just give yourself some time to warm up. With the weather being like this, it might take us a good hour to get to my place. Feel free to take a nap. I'm sure you're exhausted."

He placed a hand on the storage bin that separated the two seats. It felt right when a colder appendage settled on top of his.

*

Alessandro was sitting down on the couch. His arm hung over the back of the sofa with his hand hanging limply beside Lance's shoulder. They were close enough for their legs to touch. A hand knit orange and yellow blanket sat atop their laps. A finished cup of hot chocolate was left on a coaster on the coffee table. A lo-fi song was playing on the smart tv, relaxing tunes amplified by a long soundbar.

Lance snuggled into the blanket, his facial features still tinged with red. Aside from their initial conversation in the car, he hadn't said anything yet. It was unclear if he was tired or just waiting. 

Either way, Alessandro was left feeling nervous.

He felt like he should apologize. He felt like he should admit that he liked what happened the night prior. He wanted to say something. But he couldn't decide on what words should actually leave his mouth—he didn't want to mess anything else up.

So he opted to stay quiet instead.

A solid forty minutes of only listening to music made him want to pull out his hair. A sudden clearing of the throat nearly made him do so.

"Are we going to talk about it?" Lance asked.

"We don't have to if you don't want to."

"I don't mean what happened today."

Alessandro clenched his jaw. He leaned back further, so his face was pointed toward the ceiling. He closed his eyes and reveled in the darkness that came with it. "I'm sorry, Lance."

"For running off?"

"For kissing you."

"You- you're what now?"

The genuine confusion in Lance's voice made Alessandro reopen his eyes. He looked over, and the two observed each other's equally bewildered expressions.

"Why would you be sorry for kissing me?" Lance asked.

"I don't know, I'm just..." Alessandro shrugged. "I didn't want it to seem like I was taking advantage of the situation. Or of you. God, I'd never want to take advantage of you. But we were both a little tipsy last night- and I guess things got a little crazy- and I-"

He was cut off by a pair of soft lips meeting his. Unlike yesterday, there was no lingering taste of alcohol. A sweet flavor of hot chocolate was left behind instead.

"Unless you're having trouble remembering things- I kissed you too, Andro." Lance chuckled. "And I did it because I wanted to. So did you. That's all there is to it."

"But what does that mean?"

"Does it have to mean anything?"

Alessandro bit his bottom lip. A gentle ache settled in his chest. "Lance... you know how I am. I only form attraction to people that I have a close connection with. I don't just go around randomly kissing strangers."

"I know."

"If you know, then why are you taking this so lightly?"

"Why aren't you?"

"Because" —Alessandro stood up from the couch and started pacing near the television— "we already crossed one line. I'm afraid of us crossing other ones. You said it yourself- you don't want to fix the relationship we used to have. And I'm fine with that. But I can't lie to you- you're starting to awaken some old feelings that I didn't know I still had."

"In what sense?"

"Lance. You're perceptive. You know I'm getting attached. We both know that. And I'm afraid of what that might bring. I'm afraid of what that might do to the relationship we're building. One that's still unclear to me, by the way."

Lance stood up as well. The dual colored blanket slipped off the edge of the couch and fell onto the carpet. It was immediately forgotten about.

"I don't want to lie to you either. So I won't. You know why I kissed you? Why I didn't just push you away? Why I kept grabbing you and pulling you in for more? It's because I wanted more from you. And it wasn't alcohol or anything like that doing the talking. Alcohol didn't make me kiss you. I did so because I wanted to. I still do."

"You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do."

"Let me rephrase that- you can't mean that," Alessandro countered. "Because if you do, you're going to open the door for something big. Something that I may not be able to stop. I don't know what all this means yet- what we mean yet- but I don't want it to end in heartbreak."

"But why does it have to be that serious?"

"Because of what happened-"

"What happened, happened!" Lance walked forward. "Andro, we've already agreed to move past that. Believe it or not, I've been trying to. It's been getting easier with time. I don't know how things will go for us in terms of romance- but I'm not worried about that. I'm not worried about down the line. I'm not worried about next year or next month or next week. Hell, I'm not even worried about tomorrow. Right now, I'm just worried about tonight."

"...And what about tonight? What's so special about tonight?"

"You said you wouldn't lie to me."

"Yeah."

"So I want you to be completely honest about something."

Alessandro raised a single eyebrow. "What would that be?"

"I want you to be honest about your feelings. And your wants."

Before he really knew what was happening, he was pushed onto the other couch. A quick breath was sucked in when his lap was straddled. Firm hands were placed atop both of his shoulders.

It was an erotic position that immediately made him gulp. It also made a pleasant warmth course through his body.

Especially down below.

"If you want me to stop at any point, tell me," Lance said. "If not, then just listen to me."

Alessandro couldn't find it in himself to verbally answer. He was more concerned with holding himself back. Something he'd been trying to do more often as a means of controlling himself and his feelings.

Without a word, he nodded.

"I can see that you're struggling with this because you still feel guilty," Lance added with a gentle voice. "I know you are. That in of itself shows me that you meant it when you said you were sorry. That you actually don't want to hurt me again. I see it. I see you, Andro.

"I see the way you try to uphold this facade at work because you're trying to paint things as perfect. You're trying to hide the things that bother you because you don't want to bother anyone else. You're trying to uphold this false image, so that it can cover up all the scratches and breaks and burns. Say what you will, but I can tell you're trying to hide yourself because you're afraid of feeling too much. Am I right?"

Another more stiff nod was given in return.

"I see the way you try to put others before yourself. That's why you apologized to me for last night. And while I appreciate it, it wasn't necessary. Because I did what I wanted. Now, I want you to do the same."

Alessandro gasped as Lance ground their hips together. The riveting friction led to steadily building arousal. Large hands found stability by planting themselves on either side of a slender waist.

"You think I don't see the way you look at me, but I do," Lance stated, his cheeks becoming dusted with pink. "I see what you want to do to me. To do with me. But you hold yourself back. Stop that. At least for tonight. Don't worry about the future and maybes and what ifs. Worry about right now.

"Worry about the fact that I'm wholeheartedly asking you to be open with me. To expose everything to me. I can see the things you're going through. Now, I want to feel it too."

He leaned forward. Their lips grazed against one another. The gesture acted as an almost-kiss that teased the thrill of something more. Something completely blissful.

The only thing Alessandro needed to do was take the leap.

He stayed completely focused on the words being spoken to him despite a sensual rocking against his hips.

Lance had all of Alessandro's undivided attention.

"You're always so... put together at work." A quiet moan slipped out, causing more physical excitement to build. "You're always Mr. Perfect. You're always Mr. Tight Lipped. Fuck that. It's just you and me right now, and I want to break open that shell of yours until you can't help but spill out. I don't want you to close yourself off. Be open. Expose yourself to me. Let me soak it all in so that I can give it all back."

A black long sleeve was grabbed from its bottom hem and yanked upward. The action revealed soft, pale skin that stretched along defined muscles. Firm pecs moved with every single breath. Tight abs were partially covered in an almost invisible layer of body hair. Japanese kanji sat atop the pronounced structure of Lance's hip. A winding snake wrapped around half of his collarbone.

Altogether, he was a captivating work of art that deserved to be marveled at.

It was truly a sight to behold.

"If you're going to expose me too, I want to watch you while it happens," he said. "So don't just undress me with your eyes. Do it with your hands. And take what you want."

Alessandro couldn't hold back a deep, territorial groan. He took hold of a pair of darkening cheeks.

"You better be one hundred percent certain about this. Because if you tell me to stop, I will. But if you tell me to keep going..." Green eyes met bluish gray ones. "I won't leave a single trace of you untouched."

Lance licked his lips and leaned forward. "Keep. Going."

Any doubts or fears that Alessandro had quickly melted away. As his lips were fully captured, so was his heart. He started mimicking the soft grinding and was rewarded with a beautiful ballad composed of Lance's moans. Their tongues started fighting for dominance within seconds. A daring hand snaked beneath the waistband of Alessandro's pants. He did the same right back.

A feeling of urgency joined that of blinding passion. It was pushed through their sloppy shared kiss.

A hand raked through curly brunet hair. A delicate pull awakened something that had long been dormant.

Lance was gently picked up and placed onto the couch. Alessandro pulled back for a moment, only to pull his shirt off too. A wide, fearless smirk made its way onto his face.

He dove right back into an inviting pair of lips, and he intertwined his hands with Lance's.