Ta very much to seaecho! :-)

It was the making out that he liked best.

Which, it wasn't like he was saying that the rest of it – the blowjobs and stuff – was bad exactly. Even though, yeah, judged objectively, the blowjobs probably weren't up to the standard of experienced girls with perfect red-lipstick pouts. But Davy wouldn't call his position 'objective' by a long shot. Also it wasn't like he was all that familiar with how practiced red lips felt wrapped around his cock. His relationships rarely lasted long enough to get to that point. It wasn't like he could talk.

And there was something in Peter's very inexperience that made the whole thing feel raw and exciting. The nudging of Peter's soft, hesitant tongue against his cock was electric. The eager and sometimes clumsy movements of his mouth lit a fire down low in Davy's stomach.

That it was Peter, doing this to him – for him…that just hit him hard. Except, that was all so mixed up with guilt that it wasn't entirely a pleasant experience. Because yeah this thing was a give and take situation, except Peter was doing all the giving. And Davy was doing all the taking.

He wasn't comfortable with that. He'd offered. The first time Peter'd gone down on him, he'd waited a few minutes for the pounding of his heart to slow down and his legs to feel like legs again, before levering himself up and crawling down the bed. It felt like he had a block of ice in his stomach and Peter cupped his face in his hands and said, "It's okay. Um. You don't have to."

"I don't mind," Davy lied. "You did it for me." And he had. So Davy would. Fair was fair.

"No," Peter said, and pulled him up. "Don't."

"But don't you want"

"Not if you don't want to," Peter said, and shrugged. "It's okay."

It didn't feel okay. Davy'd never pegged himself for that kind of guy, the one who was content to sit there and let himself get taken care of – and not bother to reciprocate. It wasn't how he thought of himself. He liked things to be mutual. Equal. At least, he always had before. So this wasn't a good feeling.

He'd talked to Peter about it after. Kind of. He'd tried to slow things down and get things back on an even keel. If Peter wasn't getting blowjobs, then Davy shouldn't either. He sat cross-legged on his bed and tried to explain it to Peter.

Peter'd just looked at him and said, "But why not?"

"I just. I feel like I'm taking advantage," Davy said, because that was what it did feel like.

"Why? How can you be taking advantage of me if I want to do it?" Peter had asked. And that was hard to argue with when the only reason Davy had was that he wasn't totally comfortable giving it back. That seemed kind of blunt and hurtful to put out there.

He tried though. "Because – it's not fair. Not when I'm not…doing the same for you."

Peter kissed behind his ear. "But I like it." His hand was warm on Davy's neck. "And I want to do it." His other hand caught Davy's and played with his fingers. "And I like what you do to me," he whispered against Davy's lips. That was the end of the discussion.

At least with the making out, he could give as good as he got. And – it was nice. More than nice. He never got to make out with girls for as long as he wanted. Generally overprotective parents and crises got in the way. But with Peter, he got to enjoy long, unhurried make-out sessions just sprawled on either of their beds, all warm hands and soft mouths and stroking tongues. Also he didn't feel like he was letting Peter down in some weird way for once, so he could just relax and enjoy it.

Even with all the nice making-out and the guilty-good blowjobs it was unsettling. Confusing. So when the band met Aurora Dinsdale outside The Paradise it was familiar and easy and he ended up falling back into routine and asking her out before he even remembered Peter.

He even asked her out in front of Peter and this made him feel extra bad when he did remember, but by then it was too late. Not that Peter seemed thrown by it, which was kind of weird in itself. Peter sat there in the diner with Mike and Micky and watched him put the moves on Aurora like he'd never kissed Davy, or petted him, or used his mouth to –

Davy didn't know how to take it. He waited until they were alone in their room and then he waited some more. Then finally he said. "So. Um. Today. With…Aurora."

Peter looked at him.

"I just. Wasn't expecting that. And I kind of – got carried away. I didn't mean to just – ask her out in front of you. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Peter asked. "Didn't you want to ask her out?"

"Well…yeah," Davy admitted. "I guess. But. I shouldn't have. At least – not in front of you."

Peter looked at him like he really didn't understand. Slowly like he was thinking something out, he said, "It's okay. If you want to go out with her, you should go out with her."

"I just. I thought, with this," Davy gestured awkwardly between them, "maybe…"

Peter frowned. "No," he said. "Sure I'm taking advantage of you, but it wouldn't be fair to try and stop you from seeing girls."

Davy didn't get it really. Thanks to this whole thing his idea of fair was all out of whack. But he'd be lying if what Peter said it wasn't kind of a relief. Aurora was a blissful kind of normal compared to what he and Peter'd stumbled into. He knew how to do this – sit next to a girl and hold her hand and flirt. It came easy to him. It felt natural.

It was also a relief to have an excuse to dial down things between him and Peter. He felt like he was getting on dry land again after being in a crazy whirlpool. It wasn't that he didn't like the whirlpool. It just felt – different. Out of control. Also, it wasn't fair to keep using Peter as some kind of a stopgap. Peter deserved better than that.

So he went out with Aurora. He went for walks on the beach with her. He took her to dinner. He almost missed a couple of practices because they were talking. Sometimes he missed the long makeout sessions with Peter (and sometimes even the blowjobs. Which just made him feel guilty and a little sick), but he thought he was doing okay.

Until Aurora confessed that she was the sister of one of the guys who was trying to take their new gig at the Paradise.

"You're a nice guy. I didn't want to lie to you any more," she said. She tapped her fingers against the table in the restaurant.

Davy blinked. He opened his mouth only to close it again. "Thanks," he said finally. Inadequately.

She shrugged. "It's not like the plan was working anyway. You didn't miss one rehearsal."

"Well, thanks anyway," he said again. Then, as the silence loomed large, "Do you – still want to stay for dinner."

She shook her head. "You're a nice guy. But blood's thicker than water."

He didn't head to the pad straightaway. Instead he went for a long walk. It was quiet and the lights were all off when he got back. He took off his shoes when he got inside the door. He wandered around the couch and into the kitchen, slow and aimless, then into his and Peter's bedroom.

He closed the door behind him, and rested his back against it. He stared at Peter, all curled up in his bed. He took a couple of steps forward, only to waver and stop. He turned toward his own bed, but just as suddenly turned back. He sat down on Peter's bed.

Peter took a deep breath in as he woke up and rolled onto his back. He yawned.

"I like that," Davy said. He smiled. "Nice way to say hello. I'm going to think I'm boring you."

"Hi," Peter said.

"Hi."

He rubbed his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Davy said. He swallowed. "Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know," Peter said.

"Well it is," Davy said. "Everything's fine."

He should've moved off the bed then, he knew. He was a fraction of a second too slow with the response but he would have, except that Peter reached out and caught hold of his hand.

"Davy."

"Just," he bit his lip. Peter's fingers were warm against his. Absently he rubbed his thumb against Peter's palm. "I thought. And it's okay if you don't want – but I thought we could. Maybe. If you wanted."

Peter looked up at him, all shades of grey because of the lack of light, and that made everything easier and harder all at once for Davy – not being able to see him clearly.

"Maybe?" Peter repeated.

"Yeah," Davy said. And because it was too late anyway he braced his arms on either side of Peter's head and bent down and kissed him so fleetingly his mouth only started to tingle after he'd moved back. "You know."

Peter pressed his lips together for a second. "Yes," he said.

"Yes?" Davy repeated.

"Yes – I want to," Peter said. His hand skated up Davy's arm.

"Yeah. Okay. Good," he said dumbly, before he jerked into action and leaned down again.

The dark blurred everything, making the edges softer. All the lines that were so clear in the daytime were invisible now. He kissed Peter long enough that it started to feel like a stall, then he made his way down, sliding underneath the sheets.

"Davy," Peter managed when Davy pulled at his pajamas. "Um. You don't" –

"I want to," Davy said, and he realized it was true, as he bent his head and hoped for the best. He touched his lips to Peter's cock…

And it was easier than he'd thought it would be when it came to it.