by Ana Ashley
"Maybe, but think about it. He was in the hospital for how many days without a visitor, without anyone showing any support or checking if he was okay? He may think that Mário took their father's side."
David exhaled. "You're right, but what does it mean? We stop looking? Continue? What if he's out there and he wants to reconnect, but he's not sure about reaching out?"
I couldn't look my friend in the eye. I hated lies, and I hated secrets. I'd kept many of those for such a long time, thinking I was protecting my family when all it did was destroy it.
My legs were itching to move, so I got up and went to the edge of the pedestrian walkway where it met the sand. David followed me and stopped by my side.
"I used to come to the beach when I was young and look at all the families. Growing up, Joel was like a brother to me, but it wasn't the same, you know? I wanted a brother that was just a brother, someone I could confide in, especially when he started becoming more than my best friend."
He started walking along the pavement, so I followed.
I knew exactly what he meant because I'd been the same kid, asking my mom when I could have a brother to play with and when I would get a dad.
"I can't imagine a life without Joel," he continued. "I think it's pretty perfect that the one person I've known all my life will always be there with me, and I'm ready to move on from the hurt of the past, but I can't, because there's this unfinished chapter."
"You have no idea how much I get it. I really want to do this for you and your family."
I sensed David's gaze on me but kept mine ahead on the people walking, cycling, and running along the paved road by the beach.
"Wait." He pulled on my elbow to turn me around to face him. "You found him, haven't you? You've been talking about what would happen when you find him, but you never said that not finding him was a possibility."
"David." I didn't know what to say. I couldn't lie to him. He was one of my best friends, and this was going to hurt him. I couldn't do it.
"Tiago, please tell me. Have you found him?"
I nodded and found myself wrapped in David's arms.
"Is he okay?"
"Yes."
"How did you find him?"
We continued walking. I felt like there was a frog stuck down my throat. As soon as the words were out in the world, I wouldn't be able to take them back.
"He found me."
"How?"
"I didn't know, David. Please believe me, I didn't know. The guy I told you about."
"The sexy silver fo—oh my god." He stopped mid-stride. "You've been living with him for a few weeks."
"I didn't know he was Mário's brother." My eyes were a blink away from shedding the tears I felt were coming.
"When did you find out?"
"This weekend. He took me to his house in Porto. He had a drawing on the wall of one of the photos you showed me. I asked him about it, and he named Mário, Teresa, and your mom."
"Does he know you know who he is?"
I shook my head.
"Fuck, Tiago, this is a whole new level of complicated."
"You don't even know the half of it."
We sat on one of the benches facing the beach. There were already a number of people enjoying the warm spring weather on the beach, and even a few brave ones that had taken to the water. I couldn't remember the last time I'd spent a day on the beach. I wondered if Vítor would want to do that.
David's phone dinged with a message.
"Joel finished his tutoring session. I've got to go, but can we talk about this? I understand that we can't just barge into his life, but he should know his brother's side of the story." He paused before he got up to go. "Can I see you at the center before my next class?"
"Of course. Go meet your sexy man and we'll talk about it then."
"Tiago, I can't keep this from Joel."
"I wouldn't expect you to."
He gave me a hug and left.
I stared at the glistening water in the distance and tried to understand the whirlpool of emotions going on inside me.
Vítor had heard about my childhood—he'd been the first person I'd ever told the whole story—but I couldn't tell him about his family's wishes to see him again. In Isaac's absence, David was the friend I wanted to tell about the amazing man I'd fallen for. I wanted to share the excitement with my friend and also ask for his advice and tell him how scared I was I'd do all the wrong things and push him away. Except I couldn't do that because of who Vítor was to David.
There was only one person I could reach out to, and even though I was worried and angry about his silence, I knew he'd be there for me. Pulling out my phone, I sent Fred a text.
Hey. Do I need to fill out a missing person's report? I need my friend back. T
17
Vítor
"Vítor, do you have a few minutes before you go home?"
I looked up from the plans I was working on.
"Of course, Bernardo, how can I help?"
"Just wanted to check in on you. You seem to have settled in the partnership as though you've been here since day one. How are you finding it?"
"João has been very patient with me, showing me the ropes. It's a shame he's retiring because I'd have enjoyed working with him."
"This is more than a partnership, Vítor, we're a family. João is going to dedicate more time to his family and his charity work, but I'm sure he'll still be up for mentoring. In fact, I'd bet the commission of your next project that for the next year he'll be here at least twice a week just to catch up on gossip."
I laughed. The experience I'd had in this partnership so far had been the polar opposite to what I'd had in Porto. While I wouldn't deny loving my old partnership and the great opportunities it had given us, I felt that at this stage in my life I needed a change. I wondered if Dri would ever have considered it if he was here now.
"Vítor, if you permit the boldness of an old man. You seem different than when we first met. I'd even go as far as saying you're happy in a way that you can only be when you're in love."
Bernardo was a very perceptive man, and at only fifteen years older than me, I wouldn't exactly call him old.
I shrugged. "I'm not going to lie to you. I am falling for someone. It was as unexpected as my move to Lisbon but here we are."
"Well, what are you doing here then? Go home to your man."
I looked at the clock on the wall. Tiago had texted earlier to say he was going to see a friend, so I was hoping to grab some groceries and still get home before he did. He'd looked worried this morning when he'd mentioned the work at the center, so I wanted to cook him a nice meal and make sure he relaxed this evening.
Fortunately, the supermarket wasn't too busy, so I got everything I needed to cook a stir fry for dinner and a few more things for the rest of the week so I could go straight home from work and make the best of Tiago's time off.
Tiago's car was parked outside the building, so I knew he was home already. I heard the shower as soon as I got in and hoped he hadn't been there long, because I wanted nothing more than to join him.
I took care of any groceries that needed to be in the fridge and left the rest on the kitchen table, removing my clothes as I almost ran to the bathroom.
Tiago let out a cute little squeak when I opened the shower door to let myself in.
"Hey, baby," I said, pulling him close to me for a wet, hot kiss. My day hadn't been particularly stressful, but fuck if I didn't feel like I'd been waiting all day for this kiss.
"Fuck, I think I need to go to the doctor."
"Why?" I asked, taking a step back to look at him and check his temperature.
He chuckled.
"Because you fucking kiss like a god and one of these days I swear I'm going to die from it."
"Like a god, huh? Maybe I should stay clear of your mouth then."
I turned him around, pushed him against the tiled wall, and got on my knees. He let out a moan when he realized what I was going to
do and pushed his ass out to give me better access.
"I bet your ass tastes as good as it looks."
There was no point trying to go slow, so I put a hand on the globes of his ass and pulled them apart to display the pink, tight hole I was going to eat like the best dessert ever. I licked all the way from his taint to the top of his crease, stopping only to swirl my tongue around his rim. He pushed his ass back as though he wanted more of it amid a string of curses, which I was more than happy to do.
"Hmm, I was right, delicious." I stood up and turned him around to kiss him. He kissed and sucked on my lips as though he was returning the favor. I took both our cocks in my hand. Fortunately, we were both leaking enough to use our precum as a lubricant.
"Vítor." He groaned against my neck when I sped up. I was already so close, and the way he was fucking my hand, he wasn't far behind.
I laced my fingers through his hair and pulled it down. I needed to see his face and look into his eyes when he finally gave in to the pleasure I was bringing us.
"So beautiful," I whispered into his mouth. "Mine, you're mine."
His eyes locked on mine, and I could read all his emotions like a book. His big, beautiful, brown eyes that were almost always hidden behind his glasses, and I was the only one who had access to the real Tiago. All of him.
His hands were digging in my shoulders, and I hoped they'd leave a bruise. I wanted him to mark me and make me his, too. He was close but refusing to let go as though he wanted to be like this forever.
"Please, baby, come for me. I need it, too," I said as I added a twist motion with my wrist as I jerked us both off. I released his hair but gave him a look that asked him to keep his eyes on mine. My free hand roamed down his back toward his ass. When my finger found his hole, I applied some pressure. I could feel him trying to open up for me as he kept fucking my hand until neither he nor I could hold any longer.
We didn't hurry to finish our shower, but when I heard his tummy rumbling, I declared the fun was over and we needed to get dressed so I could make us dinner.
Unfortunately, the warm spring weather was exclusive to when the sun was out, which meant we still couldn't make use of the balcony, but we could definitely cuddle on the sofa and enjoy the view as the sun came down on the horizon.
After dinner, we settled on watching a series of documentaries about different cities around the world. We'd found that we both enjoyed the kind of documentaries where you learned interesting facts about things without going too deep on the history.
We managed a whole documentary without touching each other, which I think was a personal win because with Tiago plastered against me on the sofa, it had been near enough impossible to keep my hands off him. When the second documentary started, he turned over and kissed me. We were in the middle of our slow and fairly PG-rated make-out session when the doorbell rang.
I got up from the sofa, taking time to adjust my erection in my underwear, and went to open the door.
The guy on the other side looked to be in his early thirties, almost my height and build but with blond hair and brown eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in months.
"Can I help you?"
"Hi, is Tiago in?"
"Fred!" At the guy's words, Tiago jumped from the sofa, ran toward him, and enveloped him in a hug.
I tried to squash the little tinge of jealousy that sprang up. I'd never been a jealous person, but our relationship had a much different dynamic than what I'd grown used to with Dri. Not to mention that this other guy, apart from being physically very attractive, was also Tiago's good friend.
Tiago pulled Fred into the apartment and guided him to the sofa. I thought I'd give them some space, so I went to the kitchen, thinking I could plan what we were going to have for dinner tomorrow.
I was surprised when Tiago came in a minute later straight into my arms.
"He doesn't look well."
He ran his fingers through his hair, and I kicked myself for letting my doubts and lack of confidence get to me earlier.
"He's here now, so you can look after him, see what he needs. Let me make you guys a coffee and then I'll leave you alone to talk."
"No, please, I need you. Will you join us with the coffee? Can you also make him a sandwich? He looks like he hasn't eaten in days."
"Anything, baby. I'll be out there in ten minutes."
I wasn't sure what to make of the feeling of relief that Tiago needed to lean on me so he could help his friend. It was a feeling I hadn't had for a long time. Even Mateus had been fiercely independent since he was a child. I knew he'd have moved out of home after he finished university if it hadn't been for Dri getting sick.
While I waited for the coffee to finish, I dropped Mateus a text.
Hey son. Thanks for the words of wisdom over the weekend. I thought that was my job, but you've clearly got the touch. I'd love to introduce you properly to my boyfriend soon. Love, Dad xx
When I came back to the living room, Tiago and Fred were on the sofa facing each other. I wasn't listening to their conversation, but I caught a few words and knew Tiago had told Fred about our relationship.
I put the tray on the coffee table.
"Hi, Fred, I'm Vítor." I put my hand out and was glad when he shook it back.
"Hi, nice to meet you."
Tiago looked at me and smiled. I placed a kiss on his head before I sat on the other side of him. When he leaned back on my chest, I gladly put my arms around his waist.
Fred inhaled the sandwich and drank his coffee like a starved man. "Thanks, guys, this really hit the spot. I haven't had much to eat since… well, I can't even remember."
"What's going on, Fred? I've been worried sick."
Fred looked guilty, but before he answered Tiago's question, he looked at me and paused as though he was making an assessment.
"First," he said to Tiago, "you're going to explain to me how you went from poster boy for the gay single life to loved up in three-point-five seconds." He turned to me. "And you, you're going to promise me that you won't break his heart or I'm going to forget I'm an officer of the law and kick your ass so hard you're going to end up in France with no pit stops in Spain."
I held my hands up and away from Tiago who took them and wrapped them around him again.
"Don't worry, babe, I'll protect you," he said, looking at me and placing a chaste kiss on my lips.
"Ugh, another loved-up couple. Am I the only one left now?" Fred groaned.
Tiago leaned forward and put his hands on Fred's. "He's out there, Fred."
Fred looked into Tiago's eyes but then looked away. I saw regret and something else I couldn't name. Was he in love with Tiago?
I didn't have time to think about it because Fred decided to change the subject to talk about the real reason he'd stopped by.
"I'm sorry I've been missing. I know I normally tell you when I go undercover, but things happened so quickly, and I didn't have time to warn you."
"That's okay, you're here now, but you don't look well. Did anything bad happen this time?"
Fred took a moment to choose his words.
"A few years ago, when I was still new in the force, I heard of this pedophile network that had come to an end when they were reported by someone. They were running a massive underground network that provided images and videos to another organization that posted them online. They were difficult to catch because they weren't the ones with the digital print. What they didn't count on was being reported by the son of one of the top guys when he found out what his father was up to.
"When I joined the special missing children's unit, I suggested we create a safe space online where anyone can report any activity where they believe children are being abused. We made it super safe so we couldn't identify the people sending the messages. We wanted to tell the public that they could report things anonymously and we would investigate."
"Did you get a lot of fake reports?" I asked.
"We did, but we also received a few that helpe
d us put some criminals in jail. We hoped that making this public would encourage anyone who was afraid for their safety or the safety of their loved ones to report the activity because we wouldn't know who they were.
"With advances in technology, that website became more or less obsolete. We wouldn't ever shut it down because some people may still have the link and use it, but we didn't get any new reports. That was until about a year ago. There was so little on it, I thought it was a joke, but I still replied to the message. It took two months until I had another message from the same guy using a different name.
"How do you know it was the same guy?" Tiago asked.
"I didn't at the time. It took four messages over six months for the guy to realize that I really couldn't know who he was. That's when he said he was the one sending those messages. I spent some time building his trust. Something told me that he was reporting something big, but also that he was afraid of what would happen not just to him but to others if the information came into the wrong hands.
"I've established that he has access to a number of children that have been groomed and kidnapped. In the last few weeks, I've been working with a network of special agents to coordinate the rescue. What we were missing was the location."
He paused, and my gut feeling told me he was about to pull the rug from under Tiago's feet. I tightened my hold around him and his movement to burrow farther into my chest told me he felt the same.
"I need a halfway house for the kids once they're out. The center is the ideal place because you already have support people in place, and if the press gets wind of this, the first places they'll look are the police stations and hospitals."
"Yes, of course," Tiago said. "The center is closed at the moment because we have some plumbing issues, so no one will be coming in. I'll do anything I can to help."
"There's one more thing."
"Anything."
"I convinced the guy to meet up with me so we could go through the rescue plan. I met him a week ago. Tiago. It's Afonso."
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