by Jet Mykles
“Iz.”
That delightful laugh sounded on the other end of the phone. “Rabin’s with me. I have a roast and trimmings that we’re bringing over.”
“What?”
“This is your one shot to tell us to go home, but I’ll be very insulted if your excuse is nonsexual.”
Danny had to smile. Rabin’s boyfriend was a force to be reckoned with. Also, his food wasn’t to be denied. Danny glanced at Cash. “You hungry?”
“Yeah.” The answer came before the curiosity. “Why?”
“You remember I told you I have a friend who’s a culinary student?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s got a roast and trimmings he’s offering to bring over.”
Cash’s lips parted, eyes wide behind his glasses.
“The food can’t be anything but delicious,” Danny assured him.
“Thank you,” Izzy purred, able to hear him perfectly well as they waited for Cash’s response.
Cash only frowned slightly. “Okay.”
Danny nodded, eyes on Cash as he spoke into the phone. “Okay.”
Izzy giggled. “Okay. We’re in your lobby. Be up in a sec.”
Brows raised, Danny looked at the screen of his phone; Izzy had already cut the connection. “They’re downstairs.”
Cash sat up. “What?”
Laughing, Danny leaned forward to gather a bunch of crap off the coffee table. “Izzy’s school isn’t that far away. He probably just got out of class.” He paused when he realized Cash was staring at him. “Look, I can tell them to leave if you want.”
Cash frowned.
Danny smiled. “Rabin and Izzy are great. You’ll like them.”
“They’re gay.” Just a confirmation.
“Yes.”
“Do they know? About…us?”
“Yes.” A knock sounded at the door, but he ignored it. “Is that a problem?”
Cash’s gaze dropped as he thought about it. Danny’s heart tripped as he waited. Another knock. Cash glanced toward the door and visibly made a decision. He shrugged. “No.”
On impulse, Danny leaned in to kiss him. “Don’t worry about it. No one’s going to make a big deal.” He hoped. One never could quite tell with Izzy. “And if you get uncomfortable, I give you permission to hide in your room.”
Cash glared at him but relented when he saw Danny’s smile. “Fuck you.”
Danny gave him another kiss just before he stood. “Later.”
“I made this in class,” Izzy explained as soon as the door was open, “and it’s just too big to take all the way home.” He presented his cheek for Danny to kiss. “Oh, I like the hair!” He reached up to run his fingers through Danny’s new platinum locks, focused on the one dark blue streak in front. “It’s so you.” Grinning, he breezed past Danny toward the kitchen, carrying a moderate-sized roast pan. Izzy was a few inches shorter than Danny and looked like he was barely out of high school, especially with his long raven hair pulled back in a simple tail away from his sweet, rounded face.
Rabin followed with two bags filled with plastic containers. He stopped to meet Danny’s gaze, apology clear in his eyes. Danny grinned and patted his arm, taking one of the bags from him.
“Hi!”
Danny turned just in time to see Izzy approach Cash. That was when he noticed how Izzy was dressed. Underneath an open light gray overcoat that spilled his blue hat and scarf from the pocket, he wore a faded teal thermal and a blue plaid button-down. His face was devoid of makeup. This was odd. There was always a splash of color or outrageousness about Izzy. But at the moment, he looked completely normal.
He held out his hand, smiling brightly at Cash. “I’m Izzy. You must be Cash.”
Cash blinked at him a moment before an answering smile bloomed and he took the offered hand. “Yeah. Cash.”
“So good to meet you. Danny’s told us about his roommate, and I’ve so wanted to meet you.” He started to shrug out of his coat. “Is your room really wall-to-wall computers?”
Cash’s smile twitched in amusement. He glanced up at Danny, then back to Izzy. “It’s not wall-to-wall.”
Izzy draped his coat over the back of the couch. “But you’ve got a bunch of them, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Could I see?” He folded his hands up under his chin and blinked. “Pretty please! I wanna see if it really does look like mission control.”
“Hey!” Danny protested from the kitchen, where he and Rabin now had all the plastic containers spread on the counter. “I never said that.”
“Oh, I know.” Izzy waved him off, still concentrated on Cash. “That’s just how I pictured it.”
“Uh.” Cash ran a hand through his hair as the Izzy magic kept working on him. Danny was convinced only an awful person with no heart or no sense of humor could resist Izzy’s charms. “Sure.” Cash lifted another helpless glance at Danny before he led Izzy toward his room.
“Sorry,” Rabin said as soon as they were out of earshot. “The best I could do was make him call before we barged in.”
Danny laughed. “It’s okay. Did you tell him about us?”
They paused at the sound of an excited squeal from Cash’s room. Evidently the setup was everything Izzy had hoped.
“Yeah,” Rabin said, shaking his head. “And when I told him you had the night off from work…”
“You told him what I told you yesterday?”
“Was I not supposed to?”
Danny sighed. “No. I figured you would. He have any insight?”
“This is it. Feed Cash, and overwhelm him with kindness.” Rabin held up a plastic tub of grilled vegetables. “He’s like a fucking freight train, that one.”
“Like you mind.”
“Not a bit.” They laughed. “Here, let’s dish this out.”
Danny got some plates out while Rabin opened various containers.
“So, how’s it going?” Rabin asked him.
Danny paused to inhale the delectable aroma of the roast and its nest of vegetables and juices. “We’re okay. I think.” He kept an eye on the empty hallway and tuned his ear to the sound of Izzy’s voice from within Cash’s bedroom. “Still haven’t talked much about me leaving.”
Before they could discuss further, Izzy and Cash reemerged. Danny was relieved to see the panic had left Cash’s face, and he spoke freely with Izzy as they approached.
“I only use the Internet for searching out stuff, y’know,” Izzy said, continuing his conversation with Cash as he strolled into the tiny kitchen space. “It’s great for finding recipes and”—he stopped, arched a brow at Danny, and waited until Danny scurried out of his way—“and stuff, but I barely use it for anything else.” He plucked a spoon from Rabin’s hand and shooed him away so he could properly fill the plates they’d put on the counter. “But I’m determined to learn all about e-mail and stuff so I can keep track of this one”—he indicated Rabin with the spoon—“while he’s out of town.”
Cash grinned at Danny, clearly amused by Izzy.
“Maybe you can help me with that?” Izzy pleaded as he held out a plate laden with roast, gravy, potatoes, and beans.
Cash practically salivated at the sight. “Uh, yeah. I guess. It’s pretty easy.”
Izzy giggled. “I’m a dunce about that stuff.”
Rabin groaned. “Cash, please don’t let him get away with that. He’s not nearly the innocent he looks.”
Izzy blinked prettily at him. “And whose fault is that, Mr. Man?”
With practiced ease, Rabin took another plate from Izzy and managed to kiss his cheek at the same time. “You’re just too irresistible for me not to corrupt.”
Izzy smiled. “Is true. I’m cursed.” He looked up to make sure Cash knew he was kidding, but Cash was already on the couch, digging into his food. So Izzy concentrated on Danny instead. He’s cute! he mouthed.
I know, Danny mouthed back. He took the plate Izzy was filling for him, but held it between them before he left the kit
chen. “What are you doing?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
Izzy blinked innocently. “Feeding you.”
“And?”
“Getting to know your…friend.” The pause was quite intentional, as they both knew.
“Don’t help me.”
Izzy rolled his eyes. “Go eat.”
“Iz…”
“Go!”
Izzy spent most of the next hour quizzing Cash about himself, but he couched it in a lot of his own background so Cash didn’t feel on the spot. Danny knew there was something going on in that pretty little head, but he was helpless to steer the boat when Izzy was quite firmly at the helm. Rabin was no help at all, clearly at his boyfriend’s back. The traitor.
But Izzy’s charm worked on Danny too. So well that he was caught unprepared when he heard the words come out of Izzy’s mouth. “Cash, you must come with to the club to hear the band play this weekend.”
Standing in the kitchen, filling the sink with dishes, Danny and Rabin exchanged a glance first before they both turned to look at the others in the main room. Izzy was on the couch now, twisted to fully face Cash, with both of Cash’s hands between his.
Cash frowned, caught by surprise. “Uh…”
“It’s an awesome show, and I need someone to enjoy with. None of my friends are free this weekend, and I hate to be alone. Say you’ll come.”
A wee bit of panic flashed behind Cash’s glasses when he turned to Danny for help.
“Iz.” Danny rushed forward. “Cash isn’t really into clubbing.”
“The Jefferson Douglas can hardly be called ‘clubbing,’ Danny. Please.” He waved a hand in Danny’s general direction, not taking his attention off Cash. “It’s a little hole in the wall, really. No one will bother us.”
“I was there…once,” Cash admitted.
“Really? When?”
“Weekend before last.”
“You were there? I didn’t see you. Oh, you should have come inside. I was terribly lonely.”
Not a chance. Izzy couldn’t be lonely in solitary confinement. But he could put on an act with the best of them.
Rabin to the rescue. “Iz, c’mon.” He put his hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Don’t pressure Cash to come.”
Izzy grimaced. “But…”
“That’s enough. We’ve fed them. Let’s go.”
They shared a staring match, but Rabin won out. Izzy heaved a heavy sigh. “Fine.” He patted Cash’s knee. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn’t mean to. But it has been so nice meeting you, and I know you’d love seeing the Knights.” He leaned forward to the coffee table, whipped up a pen, then wrote on the back cover of a gaming magazine lying there. “This is my cell number. Call me if you change your mind.” Then before anyone could stop him, he tilted into Cash and kissed his cheek. As they all recovered from that, he bounced to his feet and approached Danny. “You keep the leftovers. Give the dish and plastic back to Rabin when you can.” He grabbed Danny’s shoulder to pull himself up for a friendly good-bye kiss. “See you soon.”
Rabin was at the door with their coats. He waved. “See you, guys.” Then they were gone.
Danny looked at Cash, who was a tad shell-shocked. “That was Izzy.”
Cash laughed. “Uh, yeah.”
“He comes on strong, but he’s quite harmless.”
“You sure about that?”
“Well, no, but he likes me.”
“I get that.”
“Don’t worry about what he asked about the club. I don’t expect you to go.”
Cash was still perched on the edge of the couch. He glanced at the number Izzy had written on his magazine. “They seem like a happy couple.”
Danny stilled. “They are.”
“How long they been together?”
“They’ve been living together since August.”
“And Izzy’s okay with Rabin going away?”
“No. Not really.” That got Cash to glance up at him. But other than mild curiosity, he showed nothing else. “But Iz knows Rabin really wants this.” They shared a look. “And he knows Rabin will come back to him.”
Cash cocked his head. “He’s sure about that?”
Were they still talking about Rabin and Izzy? Probably not completely. “They’re very confident that they love each other.”
“What about fans and groupies?”
Danny felt the corner of his mouth twitch up at that. “We don’t have many of those yet.”
Cash watched as Danny sat. “But you will.” He glanced up at Danny’s new hair, at the indigo stripe over the left side of his forehead. “Girls are gonna be all over you guys. Guys too.”
Danny tried to lighten the mood by perking up and letting his grin grow. “You think?”
Cash snorted and turned away.
Danny caught him before he could stand. He scooted over until their thighs were touching. “Rabin went through a lot to prove himself to Izzy. He’s not going to blow that.” He reached up to trace Cash’s jaw with his fingertips, then spoke with his heart. “What do I have to do to prove myself to you?”
The stricken look was instantaneous and surprised Danny enough that he let Cash slip away and stand. “I don’t want you to prove yourself,” Cash said as he rounded the far end of the couch.
Danny slumped where he was, not even turning toward Cash, who now stood behind him. “Then what do you want?”
There was a pause, long enough that Danny had to fight the urge to turn around. He didn’t want Cash to see the look on his face, didn’t want to influence the next words that came out of his mouth.
A small sigh. “Nothing.” Footsteps, and then Cash’s bedroom door slowly closed.
Danny fell forward and buried his face in one of the couch cushions as he fought not to cry.
Chapter Fourteen
“This is good,” Danny muttered to himself as he drew dark blue kohl along his left eyelid. “This can work.”
In the mirror, he could see Cash sitting behind him, casually listening to Izzy and Fiona’s animated discussion of Noble’s tattoos. The drummer stood shirtless behind the couch, also enjoying their debate about his “horny toad” skin art. His leather pants were held together by lacing up the side of each leg, exposing a lot of flesh. If Cash was uncomfortable with a half-naked man standing behind him, he didn’t show it. With mohawk at full mast, and in glittering war makeup, Noble was way out of Cash’s comfort zone, but Cash seemed to be handling it all in stride.
Rabin hitched himself up to sit on the makeup table beside Danny. He raised one hand and blew on his fingernails, helping the black polish dry. “Hey.” He subtly nodded toward the others. “Seems to be okay.”
“So far, so good.” Danny studied his handiwork in the mirror before switching to his right eye. “Izzy works magic again.”
Rabin tried to hide his goofy smile by blowing on his nails again. “He’s good at that.”
Danny shot him a wicked grin. “What else is he good at, hmm?”
Rabin didn’t even look at him. “None of your damn business.” They laughed. “Besides, you’ve got your own now, don’t you?”
Another glance in the mirror showed him Cash smiling, amused. Beautiful. “Yeah. I guess I do. For now, at least.”
“Don’t sound so glum. It’s not so bad.”
“For you, sure. You know Izzy loves you.”
Now Rabin did look at him. “Give it a chance, and you might get that back. He does watch you, you know. Okay, not right now—but hell, Noble’s all naked and shit.”
Chuckling, Danny touched up his first eye. “Hard not to notice that.”
The main door opened to admit Gordon and two surprising guests, along with a strange mild roar from beyond. “Look who I found, ladies.”
Lucas Sloane breezed into the greenroom like he owned the place, tall, gorgeous, and full of life. His auburn hair was clipped at his nape, but plenty of curls had escaped to frame his long face. A black sweater hugged his broad
chest and shoulders above relaxed jeans, and dozens of bangles clattered about his wrist as he raised it to wave. “Hey, kids.”
Behind him, Brent Rose followed, another vision in black. Slimmer and quieter than his best friend, he nonetheless caught the eye in a navy jacket over a black shirt and slacks.
Noble was the first to greet them. “What brings you guys out of the studio?”
Luc sauntered farther into the room to greet Rabin with a back-slapping hug. “Well, strangest thing. I just might have let word slip that I’d be here tonight.” He grinned around the room. “I might have mentioned Reese, Brent, and Hell would be with me. I also might have mentioned that we had some rough tracks of a new single we might be handing out to select interested parties.” He dipped two fingers into his back pocket and withdrew a mini CD with handwritten black lettering on it.
Danny’s jaw dropped.
Lance laughed. “And just who might you have let this information slip to?”
Luc shrugged, tucking the CD back in his pocket. “Oh, I might have tweeted it. Might have dropped an e-mail to a reporter or two. Word might have gotten out on our forums, I think?” He looked at Brent for confirmation.
Brent rolled his eyes. “Yeah, perhaps posted by one of your code names?”
“Maybe.”
“Is that the noise I hear?” Rabin asked.
Luc grinned. “You’ve got a full house. Hope you’re on tonight.”
Absolute silence greeted his words as the four band members digested what he was saying and the others in the room gave them a chance to do so.
Noble recovered first, grinning. “Holy shit.”
Lance nodded, his smile growing. “Fuck yeah.”
Rabin turned his head to meet Danny’s gaze. “Dayum.”
Danny blinked. Torn. His first reaction matched the whoop of glee Noble now emitted. His second and nearly simultaneous reaction was oh shit, thinking of the object of his obsession. Slowly he turned to look at Cash, who hadn’t moved and who didn’t look like he had any reaction at all. But Danny could see the wider eyes and the shock that made his neck stiff. “Wow,” Danny said for the others. He had to be happy. This was awesome for the band. But it had turned out to be the exact wrong night for Cash to come see them.
While the others congratulated one another, Danny made his way to the couch to sit beside Cash. “Listen, if you don’t want to stay, I get it. There’s a back entrance you can use if you want to take off.”