Chapter Eight Marius
“So, I was thinking,” Carden said as they lay in bed after a round of sex that left Marius feeling breathless and still wanting more. More of Carden. Always more of his taste, his smell, the feel of his skin against his own. Of that tight heat around his cock.
“Okay, I’m listening. Thinking is good,” Marius said, drawing mindless patterns on Carden’s pale skin with his index finger.
Carden hummed, his face half buried in the pillow, and half his ass was exposed because they hadn’t covered up properly yet. It was warm in the apartment, so it wasn’t really needed. And to be honest, Marius liked having so much skin to kiss and touch on display.
“Thinking is good,” Carden replied with a laugh.
“What were you thinking about?”
“That I’ve met your friends already, so you should meet mine too,” Carden said and turned around so he could look at Marius properly. His blond hair was a mess, and Marius reached out and smoothed it back. Carden leaned into the touch, his cheeks flushing a lovely pale pink.
“You want me to meet your friends?”
“You met Pearl briefly, but you haven’t met Adam yet or his boyfriends.”
Carden talked about Adam a lot. It was clear to Marius that Adam was important to him and that if he wanted to make this thing with Carden work, he would have to meet and probably get along with Adam too.
“Did you and him ever, you know?”
Carden blinked at him. “Me and Adam?”
“Yeah, you and Adam. Were you ever together, or did you guys fuck?”
“Why?” Carden asked. “Jealous?” He was smirking, so Marius knew that Carden wasn’t mad about the question.
“No? I don’t know. You talk about him a lot, and it’s clear as day you love the guy, so.”
“Yeah, I do love him. Like a brother, so nah, we never fucked. But he is very important to me,” Carden said.
Marius kissed him gently and then pulled away; Carden snuggled into him. “You said his boyfriend will be there too?”
“I said boyfriends, lover. He has two. Didn’t I tell you he had two before?”
“Can’t remember you did,” Marius said. He wondered what kind of man Adam was. To have two boyfriends. “Two boyfriends, really?”
“They know about each other. They are in love with each other too,” Carden said. He bit Marius’ shoulder. “There is no drama. Only a lot of glorious fucking.”
“Okay, still… I mean, I knew that there are people out there in all kinds of relationships, but I never met anyone who had two partners at the same time and wasn’t a two-timing asshole.”
“Yay, a first for you,” Carden said. “So, you want to meet my friends?”
“Yes, very much so. What did you have in mind?”
“Adam said he would like to go dancing again, and to be honest, I haven’t been dancing in weeks. Mostly because I spent all my free time with you. Naked in bed.”
“We did some things outside the bed, even went out and saw other people, if I remember correctly,” Marius teased.
“Point still stands. I mean, we are naked in bed right now. It’s bright daylight outside, and here we are just coming down from going at it like bunnies. We’re truly shameless.”
“Well, can’t argue with that. So, hmm, dancing, yes, I’d like that,” Marius said.
“Good, I’ll let Adam know. Are you free this Friday?”
“Yeah,” Marius answered. He had some things to take care of in the afternoon and a meeting with the band in the morning to go over new material and such, but his night was wide open. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” Carden said and snuggled even closer to him.
◆◆◆
The club was just as Marius remembered it. Decadent in some ways, very modern in others. It was the perfect mix of old and new. He liked the dark velvet sofas and chairs; he liked that people didn’t give him a second glance. He liked how good-looking the bar staff was.
“Adam got us a table,” Carden said, taking his hand. He liked holding Carden’s hand, too.
Marius had built up Adam in his head over the last few days, but it hadn’t prepared him for the real deal at all.
Adam was tall and slim, with black hair with blue and green streaks in it.
His lips were shiny from lip gloss, and there was glitter on his skin.
He looked like a rock star himself. Like he belonged on the cover of magazines.
Like he should sing songs about heartache and fucking to millions of people.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the man. He looked more like a rock star than Marius did.
Once he had his fill of Adam, his eyes finally registered the gorgeous and very familiar face next to him.
He squeezed Carden’s hand and then looked at him.
Carden was biting his lip, trying hard not to grin.
“You didn’t tell him,” Adam said.
Sebastian Winter looked from Adam to Carden and then smiled. “Lovely Carden.”
Marius had known, of course, that Carden had met Sebastian Winter and that Sebastian Winter had called him lovely.
He heard the story from Carden himself and had no reason to doubt it at all, but it still hit him like a ton of bricks to the head at that moment that Carden was friends with famous actors.
Well, at least one. But Sebastian Winter was in a relationship with his co-star.
Everyone knew that. It made a big splash a while ago, so…
“Holy shit.” Marius said, and Adam laughed.
Sebastian had made his way around the table and was hugging Carden. It was a bit awkward, because Marius was still clutching his hand, but whatever.
“Hi, I’m Adam, and this is Sebastian, my boyfriend.”
“Yes,” Marius said. “I figured.” He blinked. “Marius, Carden’s...”
“Boyfriend,” Carden cut in. His voice was firm.
They hadn’t talked about it yet, but Marius had thought about Carden that way for some time now. He was relieved that Carden had been too.
“Yes, boyfriend,” Marius said.
Adam held out his hand to him, and Marius shook it. Adam’s nails were painted dark blue with glitter, his grip was strong, and his fingers were long.
Sebastian Winter had stepped away and was holding out his hand for Marius too. “I heard your song on the radio,” he said as he shook Marius’s hand. “I like it very much.”
Holy shit. He had just gotten a compliment from a very hot and successful actor. “Thank you,” he mumbled, overwhelmed by this whole situation. His own fame was still new enough that meeting people who had accomplished more than him made him feel like a fraud and, worse, tongue-tied.
“Where are Pearl and Chris?” Carden asked as they sat down.
“Chris is charming the bartender, and Pearl went with him to learn from the best,” Sebastian answered.
Marius still couldn’t believe he was sitting right across from Sebastian Winter. It was a bit surreal, but he had to keep his cool.
“There you are,” Chris said. He was holding a golden tray with drinks.
“Exactly where you left us,” Sebastian said.
Pearl took the chair on Marius’s left side. “Hello again, rock star,” she said with a wink.
She was stunning and looked exactly how people pictured their fans. All the black, all the ruffles and lace, and dramatic makeup. Did his boyfriend only know beautiful people? “She might ask you later to sign her tit,” Carden stage whispered.
“What?”
“I really might,” Pearl said, nodding like this was no big deal.
“I don’t sign those kinds of body parts on principle,” Marius replied.
“Really? What about the other members of your band?” Adam asked, leaning over the table.
God, he was stupidly attractive. He could be a model. Marius kind of wanted him on the cover of their next album. All dramatic glam goth makeup. Would it be weird to ask Adam to model for them? He had to talk with Carden and the band about it.
“They don’t sign those kinds of body parts either. It’s not only because we find it a bit icky, you know? I think it could open us up to all kinds of harassment claims.”
“I hear you,” Chris said. “After we came out, one guy asked me to sign his dick.”
Sebastian looked at him. “You never told us that story.”
“It was kind of embarrassing, really. He looked so young too. Like…jailbait young,” Chris said and shook his head. “I was embarrassed for him and a bit worried.”
Marius nodded. “Yeah, it happened to me too.” Only once, but that was one time too many.
“It was when we were touring the small clubs and bars, you know? And this punk kid came up to me after the show and asked if I could write my name on his dick because it was really long enough for it. He was drunk and young, but still.”
Adam shook his head. “People are so weird, like what do you even do with an autograph on your dick?”
“Take a picture?” Carden said. “I mean, what else? The first time you shower, it’ll come off anyway.”
“Some girls get it tattooed after,” Pearl said.
Carden shuddered. “No, thank you. Just thinking about it. Just no. Another man’s name on my dick? No way in hell.”
Marius could only nod in agreement.
“Anyhow, that is why we don’t write our names on those kinds of body parts,” Chris said. Sometime while they were talking, Chris handed out drinks. Marius wasn’t surprised that he had gotten exactly what he would have ordered. He was sure that Carden had let Adam know what he liked.
The longer they talked and joked around, the more relaxed he became. Sebastian Winter was just a person. A normal guy. An extremely nice man too, and he was clearly head over heels for both Adam and Chris.
Marius wondered how you made it work with two people in the long run but didn’t feel comfortable asking that question. Maybe once they got to know each other better.
“When will your big tour start?” Sebastian asked. “Sorry, I’m sure it was announced everywhere, but I’m not exactly a fan.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I mean, it’s not like every person I meet is a fan, right? Carden isn’t a fan of Citizen Clash.”
“I’m a fan of you,” Carden said and downed a poison green drink before he pressed his wet lips to Marius’s cheek.
Adam’s eyes were laughing at them. Marius was sure of it.
“One week after the album drops,” Marius replied.
“Is Carden going to visit you?” Adam asked.