Sorry for this very late response to the Send Me A Premise You Think I Would Write thing, but omg, I feel SEEN. There is nothing more true and accurate and I felt ill just seeing this message pop into my inbox, thank you so much. I have written an itty bitty snippet just for you!!
It's easy for Daniel to tell himself Scotty does this too. They've never talked about it or anything, never made any formal agreements, but Scotty is...he's pretty, and he's chill, and he's casual about putting his hands on people, making them feel comfortable. When he's on the road and Daniel's on the road, and they're at opposite corners of the globe, why shouldn't they let themselves have a little fun?
Fun. Even thinking the word fills him with shame, thick and oily. The first time Daniel fucks Max--in a hotel suite in Abu Dhabi--Max cries. Not a couple tears that could be chalked up to the pleasure-pain of penetration or a good orgasm, but real, actual crying, with snot and shaky little breaths and Daniel gathering Max into his arms and rubbing his back and shushing him, petting his hair. They almost get caught, later in the hallway, because they can't let go of each other, keep coming back for one last kiss.
If he's honest, he's gotten used to the way Scotty laughs at his jokes and the way they "yes, and" each other, so in sync it feels like breathing. But when he gets Max to laugh? It feels new every time. When they finish each other's sentences in some PR video, or when Max praises him for some decision he made on track, it's like an electric shock, leaving him tense and aching.
It's just because of the newness, Daniel tells himself. It's not real. It's just fun. He could talk to Scotty about it, and Scotty would laugh and tell him, it's okay, yeah, I do it too.
He thinks about it, when Scotty calls him just after he's gotten back from Max's room. "Just came back from dinner," he says instead, when Scotty asks what he's up to. He can still taste Max when he licks his lips. "About to go to bed."
"Wish I was there," Scotty tells him.
Daniel swallows hard. He needs a shower. "Yeah," he says. "Me too."
