What Happens in Vegas

The easiest part of this challenging task was over. Aaron's parents knew. They knew and they still loved him and were guardedly optimistic about this relationship with Fred. Fred had not forgotten what Rob had said about him and his track record with relationships. It was true that he hadn't had any long-term relationships with anyone really.

He would date women for a while but when it started to get serious, when they got too close and began to notice the weak points in his carefully constructed armor, he would cut them lose before they could decide to leave him.

Aaron knew all the weak points, knew most of his sore spots and knew the history of them. And it didn't scare Fred that Aaron already knew them all. It was strange but it was true that Fred wasn't afraid of Aaron's knowledge of him. He knew, even after only a few days, Aaron wouldn't leave him out of the blue.

At first, he had chaffed at Rob's comments about his lack of commitment and declaration that he might possibly jerk Aaron around. If it hadn't been for Vicky inadvertently lightening the mood by revealing that Aaron didn't know how to do his own laundry, Fred might have brooded over it the whole way home. As it was, he only started brooding once he pulled his car into a parking spot in front of his apartment building.

"I should probably go home tonight," Aaron sighed. Fred looked up at him.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"I haven't spent the night at home since we got back from Vegas," Aaron said. Fred shrugged.

"So," he said. Aaron regarded him for a second.

"Do you want me to stay?" Aaron asked. Fred's face flushed and he fiddled with his keys.

"Yeah," he said staring down at his keys. Aaron reached over and put a hand to Fred's face.

"Freddie, what's up? I thought tonight went really well," Aaron said. Fred snorted.

"Yeah, it did, except your dad thinks I'm a piece of shit," Fred moped. Aaron blinked.

"He does not think you are a piece of shit," Aaron said. He gripped Fred's chin, turning his face so their eyes met.

"Hey, you're not a piece of shit." Fred's eyes shimmered for a second and he swallowed hard. Aaron released his chin, caressing his fingers slowly up Fred's clenched jaw.

"I don't think you're a piece of shit," Aaron said. Fred sighed and nuzzled into Aaron's hand.

"Do you want to stay tonight?" Fred asked. Aaron glanced at his watch, which read 8pm.

"I'll come up for a while," he said. "Let's just see where the night takes us." Aaron smiled trying to get Fred to perk up. Fred just nodded and the men made their way up to Fred's apartment.

Fred was in the kitchen grabbing the two lonely beers from the fridge before he and Aaron turned on a show to watch together, that would probably go ignored as they cuddled on the couch.

"You know it's not too late on the west coast," Aaron said tentatively. The fridge door swung shut and Fred closed his eyes, turning his face up to the ceiling. He rolled his head forward and blew out a breath.

"Yeah, I know," he said. Aaron noted the strain in his voice.

"Never mind," he said, shaking his head. "Let's just get something on the TV. What do you feel like? Horror?" Fred flopped on the couch next to Aaron and handed him a beer.

"I know what you were going to say," Fred said.

"I know you know Freddie. But I also know, you're probably feeling a lot of anxiety about it so I'm not going to push it. We can do it later." Aaron shrugged and sipped from his beer. Fred slung his arm over his shoulders and kissed him on his temple.

"I appreciate that, but I also hear you. We're on a roll, right? We might as well get it over with." Fred put his beer on a coaster. Aaron put his on the table. Fred grimaced and put it on a coaster.

"Sorry," Aaron said. "We really don't have to tell him tonight." Fred nodded and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

"Telling your parents was... weirder than I thought it would be. And I know it's going to be so much worse with my mom. But my dad..." Fred paused and looked away into nothing for a second. "I think my dad will be OK. So why don't we just do it?" Aaron studied Fred's face.

"Are you sure?" Aaron wished he hadn't brought it up. He'd been feeling encouraged by his parents' reaction and was riding the high from that success. He felt like he had pushed Fred too far. But Fred only nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket.

He held the phone in his hand, scrolling through his contacts to his dad's number.

"I'm going to call him then put him on speaker so we can talk to him together," Fred said, his knee was bouncing up and down rapidly. His stomach turned as he pressed the call button. Aaron put his hand gently on Fred's knee.

"I'm right here, Freddie," he said quietly. Fred smiled at him tightly, but his knee stopped bouncing and he put his hand over Aaron's squeezing tightly.

"Hi dad," Fred said then paused. "Yeah, good. It was fun." Another pause and Fred took a deep breath.

"So, there's actually something I need to tell you. I'm going to put you on speaker, OK?" A pause and Fred nodded then cradled the phone in his hand, thumbing the speaker button.

"Can you hear me?" he asked and immediately felt a horrible sense of foreboding wash through him.

"Yeah, I can," his dad said. "What's up?" There was a tinge of worry in the question.

"So, uhm, Aaron is here with me," Fred said. He looked at Aaron his eyes bugging, he mouthed the word 'fuck' and clasped a hand to his forehead, before dragging it down his cheek. Aaron shook his head and rubbed his knee reassuringly; he was doing fine.

"Oh, hey Aaron!"

"Hi Paul, how's California?" Aaron asked brightly.

"Nice and warm. What's this thing you need to tell me Fred?" Paul asked.

Normally, he would have made more conversation, but Fred was making him nervous. He'd never heard his son so on edge, so out of sorts as if he didn't know what to say. Fred always had something to say, even if it wasn't always the right or best thing to say.

"Well," Fred said. He looked pleadingly at Aaron, his eyes brimming with tears he couldn't explain.

"So, something happened in Vegas," Aaron took over.

"OK... did you kill a hooker or something?" Paul laughed nervously. Aaron chuckled a little.

"No, nothing like that. Paul, I'm not sure if you know this about me, but uh, I'm... I'm gay," Aaron said. There was a short pause.

"OK," Paul said.

"And I sort of told Fred about it in Vegas, and we ended up, well. To put it bluntly we ended up hooking up in Vegas," Aaron said and grimaced.

Fred was chewing rabidly on his thumbnail; a behavior Aaron hadn't seen from him since high school. His eyes swam with tears, he was terrified, and Aaron again, felt awful for even suggesting they do this tonight.

A long pause followed Aaron's revelation the only sound coming from the other end of the phone was Paul's breathing. He finally spoke.

"Is this true Fred? You and Aaron... got together in Vegas?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah we did." Fred's voice cracked as he spoke, and his hand dropped from his chewing teeth as he answered.

Once he spoke the tears started to roll down his cheeks in droves. He was suddenly convinced his father would disown him. Why had he thought he'd be OK with this?

Aaron rubbed his knee and took his hand quickly before he could start chewing on his thumbnail again. He squeezed it and kissed the back of his hand.

"Will you please take me off speaker phone?" Paul sounded perfectly calm, but Aaron shook his head. Fred shrugged and thumbed the button bringing the phone back to his ear.

"OK, it's off," he said into the phone with a sniff. Aaron scooted close to Fred and put an arm around his torso holding him close. His chin rested on Fred's shoulder as Paul spoke to his son. Aaron kept a hand on Fred's knee. He squeezed him every so often to remind him he was there with him.

Fred mostly listened and cried and mumbled 'yeah' over and over. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Aaron, Fred said "OK" and held the phone out to Aaron. Aaron looked at him and Fred shrugged again and pushed the phone at him. Aaron swallowed and took it. Anxious energy washed through him, and he had to stand up, pace the room a little.

"Hello?" he said unable to hide the fear in his voice. He was greeted with a quiet, warm chuckle.

"You don't have to worry Aaron," Paul said. "I'm not going to yell and curse at you."

"OK," Aaron said. "Thanks..."

"Yeah. Listen, I know this is probably hard for you two. And I want you to know that I support both of you. I love Fred of course and I love that you and he have been friends for so long. I am trusting you with him Aaron," Paul said.

"What?" Aaron asked. Paul sighed.

"His mother, Wanda, she really did a number on him. Well, me too, but therapy has been helpful. I'm going to be blunt Aaron, he's been abused, by that woman. He's broken, and he's not going to be... easy to be with sometimes. If you think you can handle that then I support you. But I implore you, be careful with him, alright. Do not hurt my boy," Paul's voice cracked.

"I wish I could have taken him with me when I left. The environment he was in it was... he shouldn't have been there. I wanted to take him, but his mother... she's..."

"I know," Aaron said. His face had darkened as he listened to Paul's admission. "I know what she's like." Aaron kept his back to Fred and his voice low but he was pretty sure he could still hear him.

"I told Fred this too. I have a lot of regrets in my life. But he is not one of them. I love him completely no matter what he does, or who he loves. If you make him happy, if you make each other happy, well I'm happy for you both," Paul said.

"Thank you, sir," Aaron said. He sighed out a breath.

"Oh, don't do that, I'm not sir. Just call me Paul." He took a deep breath. "Aaron, you cannot let Fred tell his mom and his sister on his own. You have to go with him."

"I know, I will be with him the whole time, you have my word," Aaron said. He didn't even feel silly for saying it, making the vow as if he were in some epic fantasy novel. He didn't feel silly because it was true, he knew he never wanted Fred to face anything like that alone ever again and as long as he was around, he would not.

"Good," Paul said. "She's going to be awful about it. If you boys need to get away from there for a while, let me know I have a small guest house on my property here, you're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Thank you, Paul," Aaron said.

"Alright, I know it's getting late for you guys out there. So, I'll let you go," he paused. "Aaron, please don't leave him alone tonight."

"I won't. I'll be here for him," Aaron said.

"Good. Please let me know when you tell his mother and sister. Goodnight," Paul said.

"I will, goodnight, Paul," Aaron said. He ended the call and turned to look at the couch.

Fred was leaned forward, his elbows balanced on his knees. His face was buried in his hands and his back was quaking as he sobbed silently. Aaron dropped the phone on the coffee table and sat next to Fred putting his arms around him. Fred collapsed into Aaron, wrapping his arms around his torso and burrowing into his safe space against Aaron's neck. Aaron kissed his head and held him tightly.

"It's OK, Freddie. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I pushed it," Aaron muttered to him. Fred shook his head against his neck but didn't say anything. Aaron rubbed his hands up and down his back as his sobs started to abate. He kissed him again lightly.

"I'm so sorry Freddie," Aaron muttered to him again. Again, Fred shook his head and pulled back a little sniffing. He swiped angrily at his cheeks. Aaron gently caught his hand and lowered it to his lap. Then he lifted his own hand and put it to the side of Fred's face, using his thumb to gently wipe away the tears there. Aaron held his eye contact.

"It's OK," he said quietly. "I'm here. It's OK." Fred took in a huge shuddering breath.

"I'm sorry I pushed you," Aaron said.

"No," Fred croaked out. "It was good to do it now. I feel..." Fred looked down then back up at Aaron. "I feel better. My dad... after everything I did to him, after all my shit." Fresh tears started to roll from his eyes and Aaron gently rubbed them away.

"After what a little asshole I was to him for so many years, he just accepted it. He just accepted it and me and you and he told me," Fred's voice broke again. "He told me that he loved me and that there wasn't anything I could do to change that."

Aaron nodded. He held Fred's face in his hands, thumbs moving to wipe the tears as they fell. He kissed Fred's forehead. Fred took another shuddering breath and looked at the TV awaiting their commands. Their beers stood on the coffee table forgotten.

"I need to lie down," Fred said. His heart had been pounding in his chest and he felt like he'd just run two miles.

"Go lie down, I'll come in in a second," Aaron said.

"OK," Fred looked at him questioningly.

"I'm just gonna clean up a little," Aaron said, by way of explanation. Fred smiled and a raspy chuckle escaped.

"Do you know how?" he asked. Aaron saw the little glint in his eye, the teasing joker always at the ready even in his own meltdown.

"Haha, very funny. Go lie down," Aaron said.

Fred stood with another chuckle, squeezed Aaron's hand and slouched down the hall to his bedroom.

Aaron turned off the TV, emptied the beers into the sink, rinsed the bottles and left them on the counter. He scanned the room and grabbed Fred's phone that sat abandoned on the coffee table.

The whole process took maybe five minutes but when Aaron made his way down the hall Fred was in bed sound asleep, lightly snoring against his stuffy nose. Aaron plugged Fred's phone in and went around to the other side of the bed. He plugged in his own phone, stripped down to his boxers and lowered himself into the bed.

He scooted close to Fred, molding himself around him. He felt Fred's body relax against him as he draped an arm over him. Fred's hand found Aaron's and their fingers interlaced and Aaron fell asleep.

~~~~

A light stroke of his arm woke him up. Fred was running his fingertips over Aaron's arm slowly, watching the skin rise in little goosebumps by the light of the moon streaming in through the windows. Aaron tightened his arm around Fred and kissed him gently on the back of his neck. Fred pressed his behind into Aaron's body, rubbing against his penis.

Aaron kissed down Fred's neck, lingering along the curve where his neck met his shoulder. He brought his hand up Fred's arm, feeling the toned muscles of his biceps. His dick stirred in his boxers, and he slowly pressed forward into Fred's rear.

Fred reached behind him and ran his hand up Aaron's thigh, trailing his fingers lightly bringing the skin there up in goosebumps as well. Aaron slowly breathed in a deep breath, his mouth close to Fred's shoulder, breathing in the musky scent of him. He brought his hand to Fred's chest and mimicked his touches, his fingertips tracing lightly down between his pecs down his stomach, to his abdomen just breaching the waistband of his boxers, teasing, tracing the muscles leading down to Fred's arousal and then trailing back up slowly.

He brought his hand up and pinched a puckering nipple between his fingers. Fred slowly turned and faced Aaron bringing their faces close together. He ran his fingers over Aaron's cheek and traced his lips. He gently tugged at his chin and Aaron opened his mouth. Fred put two fingers inside and Aaron closed his lips around them, sucking on them gently. Fred stared at Aaron's mouth as he pumped his fingers in and out saliva soaking his skin, Aaron's tongue twisting around them.

He pulled them free and brought his mouth to Aaron's. Fred's breathing was ragged already as he probed his tongue forward into Aaron's mouth, but he still moved with excruciating slowness. His fingers, moist from Aaron's mouth, traveled down his chest, over his stomach, and hooked the waistband of Aaron's boxers.

Aaron lifted his hips allowing the boxers to slip down to his ankles where he kicked them off under the blankets. He did the same for Fred, sliding his boxers down to his ankles. Aaron brought his fingers up to Fred's mouth and he greedily took them in sucking and soaking them, Aaron pumped them in and out and felt his dick twitch.

The men scooted closer to each other, the tips of their hugely erect cocks touching and rubbing together. Aaron gasped and slowly pulled his fingers from Fred's mouth. He brought his soaked fingers to Fred's behind and held his eye contact as he inched them towards his asshole. Aaron raised his eyebrows as Fred nodded.

Aaron rubbed in circles first, pressing gently, then with one finger, he slowly eased it in. Fred gasped, and a groan that sounded way too loud in the silence surrounding them escaped from him.

"S'at OK?" Aaron grumbled.

"Yeah," Fred whispered, his eyes closing. He moaned more quietly, and his dick dripped as Aaron pressed further in.

His eyes flew open again when Aaron began slowly pumping his finger in and out of Fred. Fred trembled and gasped, his cock twitching with every movement of Aaron's finger.

"Oh fuck," Fred breathed out, barely above a whisper, his cock dripping profusely, at the sensations. He reached down and grabbed Aaron's dick, pressing it against his own.

He held both swollen members in one hand and started to pump up and down slowly. Aaron's hips jerked forward as Fred's fingers slid over the tips of the two cocks. He grunted quietly.

"Ohhh, Freddie," he moaned very quietly. Aaron slid a second finger into Fred with his first one.

"Ooooh, yes baby," Fred groaned equally as quietly, his face contorting with the feelings of pleasure flowing through his body.

Aaron began to pant, and his fingers moved more deeply and rapidly. Fred's breathing became quick and raspy as well, moaning with each breath. Their hips began to buck towards each other, and Fred's hand moved slickly over their hot hard cocks.

"Oh Freddie, I'm gonna cum," Aaron whimpered. He felt Fred's hole tightening around his pumping fingers as he spoke to him, and he groaned.

"Yes, baby, ugh, god me too," Fred breathed out. They came together in a gush on the sheets between them, their orgasms rocking their hips forward, their cocks spurting in Fred's firm grip, grunting and panting in quiet unison. Fred ran his fingers over their tips again and they both shuddered at the sensitivity.

Aaron extracted his fingers from Fred who gave a little moan as they slid out. The two men kissed slowly and leisurely, sleep rolling itself over them again.

~~~~

Aaron rolled out of bed with his alarm. Fred still slept soundly next to him. He slid out of bed quietly and went to the bathroom. He showered and brushed his teeth with an extra toothbrush he found packaged up under the sink. After pulling on his clothes from the day before, he went to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee.

By 7:30am Fred was still in bed and Aaron crept into the room. He kissed Fred's cheek and he stirred.

"G'morning," Fred mumbled into his pillow. "Get back in bed." He tugged at Aaron's waistband.

"I can't Freddie," Aaron said, genuinely disappointed. "I have to go home and change, but I made you coffee." Fred rolled to his back and Aaron spied a bit of morning wood tenting the sheet.

"Come on, skip work with me," Fred said. Aaron shook his head.

"We've been home for exactly two full days Freddie. We didn't even go in on Monday," Aaron said kissing his forehead. "We have to go in to work." Fred scraped his hands down his face.

"Uuuuggghhh, fine," Fred said. He pulled himself up to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around Aaron's middle, nuzzling his face into his stomach. Aaron ran his fingers through Fred's hair. He hummed out a contented sigh. It had been awfully nice waking up next to someone these past few days.