The Pretender

First and foremost, thank you readers for being patient with me. I had some bad luck late last year, with my laptop (a virus and then it decided to die) I was grateful I had backed up my work! Keep an eye out for additional chapters of Help Me and The Fighter- I'm putting some finishing touches on the next chapters and will be submitting them as soon as possible. Thank you! And as always any feedback is very welcome.

* "I'm gonna be a happy idiot,

And struggle for the legal tender,

Where the ads take aim, and lay their claim

To the heart and the soul of the spender

And believe in whatever may lie,

In those things that money can buy

And where true love could have been a contender"*

*

A Few Weeks Later

Daniel woke up to an empty bed. It wasn't unusual these days for Michael to wake up extremely early, go for a run, make breakfast for them both, and then slowly wake Daniel up. They had been living together for about a month now, and Daniel had yet to be offered a job. He was driving himself bonkers because he was so bored during the day. His savings were dwindling also, and he didn't want to mooch off Michael either. Although, with Micheal's graduation coming up soon, maybe it was a good thing he hadn't found a job just yet, in case Michael found a job in a different area of the state. He wandered into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He had a bit of semen dried to his chest hair. Although they had experimented with different positions, Daniel had yet to bottom for Michael. They had talked about it, but Michael assured him he was enjoying being submissive to Daniel. His phone rang, and Daniel was about to hop out of the shower to grab it, but he heard Michael answer it.

"Hello? Yes this is Daniel's phone. Let me see if he's available."

"Hey, do you want to talk to the practice manager at ABC Vet Hospital?" Michael asked. Daniel turned off the shower and stuck his hands out to dry on his towel and then motioned for the phone.

"Yes this is he.... I would have time after 2pm this afternoon for an interview. Okay, good, sounds like a plan. See you this afternoon." He handed the phone back to Michael and turned the shower back on. Thirty seconds later Michael stepped into the shower.

"Ewww... you stink." Daniel said as he moved from the spray to shampoo his hair and allow Michael to get wet.

"Just finished my run, its already pretty darn hot out today, God I'm gross. So where's this interview?"

"Close by. It's South of Madison." Daniel said scrubbing his hair.

Michael shifted so they could switch around. Daniel rinsed his hair while Michael soaped up.

"Hmmm, can I wash your back?" Daniel's voice got husky.

Michael turned around and went to hand Daniel the soap.

"Oops... I dropped it..." Michael said with a mischievous smile. The bar of soap dropped to the bottom of the tub. Michael bent over to pick it up and wiggled his ass at Daniel. Daniel grabbed his hips and pulled him into his hard cock.

"Mmmm, somebody is still open from last night..." Daniel said pushing a finger into Michael's hole.

"Oh god. Don't stop..." Michael moaned.

"I need to grab a condom, maybe some lube if you want what I think you want." Daniel said with a chuckle.

"Just get me off... we can fuck later!" Michael begged.

Daniel laughed and shoved a second finger in, plastered his front to Michael's back, and reached around with his right hand to cup Michael's cock while he finger banged him. Michael slapped a hand to wall of the shower stall and cried out. Daniel added a third finger and Michael just about launched out of the shower.

"Harder Daniel, as hard as you can... fuck!" Michael bucked his hips into Daniel's hand and then slumped back into Daniel's arms as his cock sprayed cum all over the shower. Daniel slipped a bit, so rather then fall, he gently knelt down, holding onto Michael tightly since he wasn't too coherent. Daniel was still hard as a rock, but wanted to see what Michael would prefer to do next.

"You didn't cum did you?" Michael asked, still breathing hard.

"Not yet..."

"Oh, good, let's go to the bedroom..." Michael said. "But I may need help up since you reduced me to a pile of ramen noodles."

Daniel laughed and then helped him up. The quickly dried off and raced each other to the bed.

"So, I know we haven't really broached the subject much, but were you interested in bottoming at some point?"

"I think so. But I know I'm not ready yet. I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Not at all. You are an excellent top, and I just don't want you to feel you're stuck in that position for the rest of time, unless you want to be."

"Well, good. Let me show off my excellence then." Daniel reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a condom. He rolled it down and lubed himself up. He stretched out on the bed.

"Ride me this time."

Michael grinned. They hadn't tried that yet and he was usually the one to encourage experimentation, so he was excited to have Daniel make the move to try something different. Michael mounted Daniel and rocked back to position his entrance above Daniel's cock. He slowly sank down, watching Daniel's face the whole time. First his eyes closed and he rocked his head back, but once Michael bottomed out, his eyes opened and locked with Michael's. He reached up and twined their hands together as Michael began to move slowly. They made slow, sweet love as Michael rocked back and forth gently over Daniel. It was quite a contrast to the events in the shower, but both men loved it. After what seemed like hours, Daniel finally had to start bucking his hips harder, needing more stimulation in order to climax. Michael shifted higher on his knees to take longer strokes, reached down and tweaked Daniel's nipples. Daniel thrust hard against Michael's ministrations. He reached up, and started to fondle Michael's cock, which was rock solid again, despite the ferocious climax in the shower.

"Holy... You've come along way in this short time... fuck, squeeze me harder... almost there..." Michael cried out and sprayed another load over Daniel, who slammed up hard at the same time, spilling into the condom. Michael collapsed onto Daniel, burying his head into his shoulder. They panted against each other, struggling to catch their breath.

They snoozed a bit, without moving, Michael still on top of Daniel.

*

Daniel's phone alarm went off about 20 minutes after they fell asleep. Daniel stirred, since he'd always been a light sleeper. He shook Michael's shoulder but all he got was a snuffling snore against his shoulder. Daniel shook a bit harder and this time Michael rolled off him, but still was mostly asleep.

"I swear to God. You could sleep through a tornado..." Daniel muttered. This was the reason Daniel had his alarm set. No, Daniel didn't need that alarm for himself, but he knew Michael well enough to realize he needed a back up in order to be on time to class the days he had early labs. Daniel knew the only way to get Michael out of bed and moving was to go make some coffee. All the shaking and yelling in the world never seemed to work, but somehow the smell of coffee always pierced the fog that shadowed over him in the mornings. Daniel made a pot of coffee, even though normally he'd use the individual brewer for days like this, Daniel was starting to like coffee and would probably drink some too. Although Michael preferred his coffee black, Daniel always added some sugar. He poured two cups and wandered back to the bedroom. Michael had yet to get out of bed, but somehow found a way to cuddle up to Daniel's pillow.

*

Daniel set Michael's coffee on his bedside table and started to pick out scrubs for Michael to throw on once he woke up enough. He pulled out the dresser drawer and grabbed a tank top, boxers and socks as well. He set the clothes on the end of the bed, as he started to hear Michael stirring.

"Coffee?" He murmured.

"Right next to you." Daniel said as he started to pick up Michael's running clothes he'd thrown on the floor that morning. Michael sat up and drank about half the cup in one gulp.

"Fuck, why did you add sugar to this?"

"Michael! You idiot..." Daniel shook his head. He'd set his cup with the added sugar on his side of the bed, and Michael's cup on the other side. Which had been closer to where Michael had been laying.

"I did it again, didn't I?" Michael said spotting the other coffee cup.

"Uh, yeah." Daniel said shaking his head.

"Sorry..." Michael set down Daniel's coffee and reached for the correct cup, and took an equally large gulp.

"Oh, much better." He groaned.

"You better get moving, or you'll be late. I set out clothes for you."

Michael swung himself out of bed.

"Thank you honey..." He kissed Daniel's cheek.

Daniel blushed.

"You'll make a good wife one of these days..." Michael said teasingly, as he picked up his outfit from the end of the bed and wandered into the bathroom.

Daniel tried to think of a retort, but wasn't quick enough, so he let it slide.

*

The morning of Michael's graduation was a clear spring morning, and it was absolutely beautiful out. Daniel for once woke up before Michael, and practically ran to the kitchen to cook breakfast before he woke up. He was midway through cooking the French toast when Michael stumbled out to the kitchen.

"I was going to bring you breakfast in bed..." Daniel said.

"Um... I smell French toast and coffee..."

"Sit... you zombie. Geez..."

Michael sat at the table, and slumped over, arms resting on the table. He set his head in the cradle of his arms.

"I'm serious about breakfast in bed. I got about 3 minutes yet before it's all done."

"Meh..." Michael said, muffled by his arms.

"I know, that means you'd have to get back up." Daniel laughed. He walked over and set a cup of coffee next to his grumpy boyfriend, and then walked back into the kitchen.

"Thanks." Michael rolled his head to the side to look at the cup.

"I don't have an IV set here to inject it straight into your veins, so yes you'll have to sit up enough to drink it." Daniel said as he flipped the toast without even looking back.

"It's like you're a mind reader some days." Michael sat up and took a tentative sip. It was cool enough to take bigger sips so he drank about half the cup before setting it down.

Daniel brought over the plate of French toast and syrup, and set it on the table, he ran back to the kitchen to grab plates and utensils. When he got back to the table, Michael had grabbed a piece of the toast and was calmly eating it dry.

"Really? You couldn't wait 30 seconds?"

"Not when it comes to French toast. Which this tastes different, not bad though, in fact this is awesomely better than your normal stuff."

"I tried it today with Hawaiian bread."

"This is fantastic. I don't really even need syrup."

Daniel grabbed a piece, set it on his plate and added a bit of butter before cutting a piece and trying it.

"Yeah, I won't be going back to 'plain' French toast now."

Michael put a couple slices onto his plate and ate everything without another word. Daniel got up and grabbed the coffee pot so they wouldn't have to keep running to the kitchen to refill their cups. Michael ate 5 pieces and drank 3 cups of coffee before he was finally awake enough to hold a conversation.

"So what's the full timeline today?" Daniel asked.

"Well, my parents should be here around 9... so any minute now. James and Ben are probably going to be here shortly after them. Then we have to be on campus by 130pm, graduation ceremony starts at 3pm. Then supposedly my parents want to take us out to dinner."

"Well. Good thing I didn't serve you breakfast in bed, we might have gotten interrupted by your parents."

"Not something that I would particularly want to have happen..." Michael said.

As if on cue, the door buzzer sounded. Daniel got up and hit the button to unlock the door. A minute later the door to the apartment opened and Michael's dad walked in first.

"Ooo breakfast..." He set his bag on the floor and walked over to the table. Luckily, Daniel usually made enough for leftovers so he had some for David and Janice to eat.

"You had breakfast already..." Janice said following him into the apartment.

"That was like 2 hours ago."

Michael and Janice shook their heads, but Daniel got up and returned with two sets of silverware and plates. Janice grabbed one slice of the French toast, while David was obviously the one with the appetite that Michael took after. He loaded his plate and then stole Micheal's coffee. Micheal started to complain, but Daniel poked him.

"You've had way too much already, and you don't want to have to sit through the ceremony needing to pee."

Michael sighed. "Fine..."

"Go get dressed, we'll wait for James and Ben. We need to probably leave for campus by 11 at the latest. Otherwise we'll never get good parking. We can grab a quick lunch downtown." Daniel shooed him to the bedroom.

Daniel sat with Janice and David at the table as he finished his own coffee. The door buzzed again, so Daniel went to let Ben and James in.

"So where's the big guy? Is he nervous?" James asked.

"I don't think he's been awake enough to worry about it. I would just be happy if Mr.Klutzy can make it across the stage, and be announced as Dr. Klutzy without falling on his face." Daniel said.

"Thanks... I'm not that uncoordinated..." Michael said, straightening his tie.

"Yes... Yes you are." Janice said.

Everyone laughed, even Micheal. Daniel ran off to get dressed quickly. In a short time, everyone was ready to go and loaded into the two cars to drive downtown.

*

Daniel sat next to David and Ben in the arena where the graduation ceremony was being held. He was excited to see the processional, and couldn't wait for the celebration after. Janice handed him a tissue over the top of David.

"What's this for?"

"You'll need it, don't worry." Janice replied.

"Okay..."

The ceremony started and seemed like forever until they reached Michael's class. As Michael's name was called, Daniel indeed felt his eyes get misty. He was so proud of all the work Michael had done to get this far. Even though Daniel hadn't known him all that long, it really made him realize the depth of commitment to his career path and his love of animals. He heard sniffing from his right, and knew Janice was using her tissue. The rest of the graduation seemed to fly. In no time at all Michael met up with them, looking very handsome in his cap and gown. Michael quickly hugged his mom and dad, but then turned to Daniel.

"Hey." Michael said.

"Congratulations." Daniel said. Michael enveloped him in a tight hug.

"This was what I was most nervous about today..." Michael said, reaching into his pocket.

"What..." Daniel stuttered.

Michael dropped to a knee, and held out a ring box. Daniel's mouth dropped open. Michael flicked the box open to show off a simple silver ring with a small diamond embedded into the metal. It wasn't flashy by any means, in fact it could be called nondescript. But it was absolutely beautiful to Daniel.

"Will you make an honest man of me?"

"I... Yes! Yes of course!" Daniel finally found his voice. He never expected Michael to propose so soon, much less at his graduation. He was floored.

Michael stood up and slid the ring onto his finger, and then embraced him in a hug again.

"I know it's quick, but I can't see spending my life without you. Thank you for coming into my life."

Daniel couldn't let go of him, and was slightly embarrassed to feel tears welling up again. He nuzzled into Michael's shoulder to hide the tears, but Michael just chuckled. He knew Daniel was crying. Janice and David came over and patted the boys on the shoulders as they held each other. James squealed and grabbed Daniel's hand to see the ring. It all seemed like a jumbled blur to Daniel, and it was almost over as soon as it began. Next thing he knew, he was in the car, Michael driving home with his parents in the back seat.