Narrator's P.O.V
Ariel let out a muffled giggle, internally having a small "freak out" over the thought running through his mind. The curly-haired boy crossed his arms, stepping a bit closer to Marcos.
"Are you jealous, Chen?" he laughed.
"I just don't like being lied to for no reason," he said, his tone even a bit harsh.
"Look, if it's any consolation, I really didn't hook up with anyone. These marks appeared on my body today when I woke up," he murmured as he leaned down to look at the bruises on his waist.
"How is that possible? They're handprints, Ariel! I can see the fingers from here!" he scolded.
"I know! But believe me, I really didn't sleep with anyone. It just appeared when I woke up, and I have no idea where it came from..."
Marcos huffed in irritation. He wasn't annoyed with the other boy, but rather with the fact that he believed him. Ariel was never one to lie, and besides, the boy was so cute that he couldn't resist him. But if he hadn't slept with anyone, where had those marks come from? The Asian man looked at them, analyzing the bruises for a few moments, and then looked down at his own hands.
"How strange..." he murmured. Marcos wore a confused expression as he stared at his hands.
"What is it?" he asked.
He didn't say anything, just walked over to the other, standing right behind him. Ariel felt his body go cold when Marcos placed both hands on his waist. He stood still, just letting the Asian man do whatever it was he was doing. Chen's fingers squeezed both sides of the curly-haired boy's waist gently, sometimes tickling him because Marcos wouldn't stop moving them.
"Your cologne smells really good, Ari," he murmured. Ariel felt his cheeks heat up.
"Thank you... yours... is too..." He spoke slowly so he wouldn't end up stuttering. He actually really liked the cologne Marcos wore. It was a secret, but the scent Chen used had become his favorite.
"Where's a mirror?" he asked suddenly.
"There's one in the bathroom, but the one in my bedroom is bigger. Come on."
The curly-haired boy went to his room, followed closely by the older one—only by three years. He didn't understand what was going on, but he wasn't going to question it either; after all, the Asian man was already irritated and he didn't want to make things worse between them. Entering his room, he stood in front of the wardrobe mirror, which was taller than him, taller even than Marcos.
Chen once again positioned himself behind him and pointed to the mirror, which Ariel immediately understood and obeyed. Looking at his reflection with Marcos right behind him, he felt a shiver. The Asian man held his waist once more, just as he had done moments before, except this time, something surprised him.
"See?" he asked.
"Yeah. They're the same size." Indeed, Marcos's hand perfectly covered the purple marks on his hip, as if those bruises had been made by him.
"If I may..."
Chen stepped closer, pressing the curly-haired boy's back against his chest. He brought his right hand up to Ariel's throat, holding it lightly. Both stared intently into the mirror. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that both his hand and the purple marks were the exact same size.
Once again, the boy felt a shiver run through his body, and this time it was just like the ones from the night before. A few flashes of what seemed to be some kind of dream crossed his mind. He saw Marcos, but he knew it was a dream, especially since those scenes flashing in his mind had never actually happened.
"You're so beautiful, Ariel," Marcos suddenly whispered in his ear.
The Asian man looked into his eyes through his reflection. His hand was still on the curly-haired boy's neck, and he wasn't squeezing, but his grip became firm. Both watched their image in the mirror, and the sight considerably pleased them. Marcos grabbed Ariel's waist again with his other hand, pulling his hips back, which inevitably made his ass brush against his cock. They both liked that.
"I didn't leave these marks on you, but know that I would've loved to," he murmured. His voice was husky, heavy with desire. It was a genuine surprise.
"Marcos... stop, or I'm gonna... I-I'm gonna get..." Ariel couldn't focus anymore. Not with Marcos touching him like that.
"Turned on?"
"Yes..." His voice sounded like a shy, contained moan.
Perhaps it was already too late. He knew his little friend down there was already wide awake, but it wasn't the only one. He felt Marcos's cock rubbing against his ass, feeling harder by the second. The way he held him only made the situation worse. It was firm, as if he wanted to dominate him, yet it didn't hurt. More flashes crossed his mind. It was as if this had already happened at some point. He felt his body go weak, as if he could surrender completely to Marcos the moment he asked...
And in fact, that was exactly what he would do; the other just had to say the word. Without realizing it, Ariel began to grind his hips, seeking more friction between them. He wanted more contact with Chen, he definitely did, but snapped back to reality when he felt the older man pull away. The curly-haired boy turned to look at him, finally recovering his senses.
"I'm sorry, Ari. I wasn't thinking straight when I did that." That... kind of shocked the younger one.
Was he really apologizing for being horny?
"Marcos, it's okay. It's not like I didn't like it. I liked it a little too much." He laughed, pointing at the bulge in his shorts. "If you want, we can take it slower. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to either, I..."
"I want to! I really want to! It's just that I kinda... never hooked up with a guy before..." he said awkwardly.
"You're bi? Okay, I don't know how that surprised me, considering... you know..." This time, he pointed at the bulge in the other's shorts. And by the way, what a bulge... "But I didn't imagine you liked men too."
"Neither did I," he laughed. "I've never actually felt attracted to men. I mean, I can think a guy is handsome and all, but it's no big deal, right? Not like with women. But then you came along, and it seems everything changed. When we started hanging out, I began to like you so much that just finding you handsome wasn't enough, and that's when I realized I like you, and maybe men in general. Probably, anyway. But I prefer you."
"You... like me?" He blushed, embarrassed.
Okay.
Out of all the things that could happen that day, Marcos admitting he liked him as more than a friend was definitely not one of them!
"I like you a lot. You are the most beautiful and perfect being in this universe, at least to me," he said a bit foolishly, stepping closer to the younger boy again.
"Then why were you always asking if I had a girlfriend?" He raised an eyebrow.
"To see if I had any competition, duh. I didn't know if you liked men. It's not that obvious, you know?" At that moment, another flash crossed his mind, but it was so fast he couldn't even visualize it. "I wanted to know if you were seeing any girls, but after our conversation yesterday, I started to suspect you might not be straight. That's why I wanted to go out with you today, but seeing you like this, and touching you that way... it made me lose control."
"Why didn't you just ask me?" he laughed.
"It's not normal to just go around asking people about their sexuality," he answered.
"We've known each other for almost two years, Marcos. I know almost everything about you, and you about me."
"But we still weren't that intimate," he shrugged.
Ariel laughed again, stepping closer to the taller man and completely closing the distance between them. He already knew what he wanted and knew it was mutual, so there was no reason to keep holding back. He went to Marcos, wrapping his arms around his neck to hug him. Chen sighed, hugging him back. He liked it when Ariel took the initiative like that, because he knew he was a bit... slow... when it came to making a move.
"I'm gay. And I like you too, you idiot." When he heard that, Marcos was so happy he started squeezing him tightly, unknowingly using a bit too much strength. "Marcos, you're suffocating me..."
"Sorry! I just got really excited!" He let out a sweet laugh.
"You look like a silly kid."
"For you, I am a fool, Ari. A bit too much," he said. "Can I kiss you?"
Ariel couldn't help but laugh at Marcos's little gestures. He found it so cute how the other man always seemed to care about him, always asking if he could do things or if everything was okay, even when the curly-haired boy replied countless times that it was fine. He wasn't very used to having someone care so much about him. In fact, he practically never had anyone like that. Maybe that was why he had fallen for the Asian man when they first met. Marcos had been acting this way toward him for almost two years, so it was inevitable. He liked having him, and from then on, it would be different, but a good kind of different, maybe even better.
Much better!
The curly-haired boy couldn't take it anymore and finally kissed him. A kiss so needy that it was almost strange, since neither had realized just how much they craved it. Ariel didn't usually get involved with many people, which consequently meant he went long periods without even being kissed. And having Marcos there, kissing him so warmly and passionately... he could definitely get used to that! Their lips moved calmly so they could both savor every moment of that first kiss. The taste was different. The touches were more intense. The sensation was so overwhelming that it gave them butterflies in their stomachs, which only made everything even better!
When they finally broke the kiss, Chen held the younger boy so he wouldn't pull away, resting their foreheads together. He wanted to feel the other so close to him just a little bit longer. In truth, Marcos had liked Ariel for much longer than he realized, so all that neediness made sense now that he had finally gotten what he wanted so much. Or rather... who he wanted so much.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this..." the Asian man whispered.
"I do, actually. I was waiting too." He laughed, leaving a quick peck on the other's lips and finally stepping away. "Come on..."
The younger boy held out his hand. Marcos smiled once more, taking it without hesitation...