Tuesday 15th March

The bright, late morning sunlight had gradually filtered through the curtains of the guesthouse, and now seemed intent on rousing its sleeping occupants. Brian opened his eyes only to find himself blinded, and immediately shut them again. He groaned slightly as he clutched his head, and decided that drinking wine just succeeded in giving him really bad hangovers. He rolled over and collided with a warm body next to him. This caused Brian to open his eyes again, and he grinned at the sight of the perfect, sleeping figure in front of him. He reached forward and tentatively pressed his lips to Ben’s, deepening the kiss as he saw his eyes flick open. Ben smiled and effortlessly pulled Brian’s small frame on top of him. He pushed his tongue out to meet Brian’s and they embroiled themselves in the kiss, only pulling apart when the need to breath became apparent. Brian gasped for air slightly and ground his hips teasingly, so Ben retaliated by lightly sucking on his bottom lip and running his fingers over the naked form sat astride him. He hooked his fingers around Brian’s neck to bring him down for another bruising kiss and pushed his hips upwards. He felt the familiar feeling of blood rushing to his groin and growled softly as he realised he was having the same effect on Brian. Ben arched his back slightly as Brian ran his fingers over his chest, before continuing tantalisingly towards his cock.

Brian suddenly sat up and slid off the bed, leaving Ben in a state of shock, disbelief and obviously discomfort. He turned to Brian for an explanation and was met by a raised eyebrow and a single worded answer.

“Shower”

Ben watched in astonishment as Brian’s nude figure wandered into the bathroom. He heard the rush of water, and climbed out of the warm covers to follow it. The bathroom was slowly filling up with steam when he entered and hot, wet hands grasped his waist and pulled him into the cubicle. Arms trailed around his neck and pulled him close to Brian’s body, and they kissed hungrily, delighting in the feel of the hot water cascading over their flushed skin. Ben let out a low moan as he pinned Brian to the wall and attached his lips to his neck. His hands trailed over the smaller man’s stomach and gripped his cock with an urgent need. He started to stroke with a slow rhythm and thrust his own hips forward desperately. Brian’s hands flitted across his neck and tilted his chin upwards for a kiss. He let one hand play gently across Ben’s chest, working its way down to his swollen cock. He ran his thumb over the head, trailing his fingers lightly down the length and extracting a gasp from Ben. They stood pumping each other’s cocks in an identical rhythm, the pre-cum and water slicking their movements. Brian pressed his lips hungrily against Ben’s again, letting his tongue entwine his partners.

“Oh god… fuck me.. please” Brian gasped as they broke away, the water trickling over his face and making him seem irresistible to Ben. He twisted his arms tightly around Ben’s neck, and wrapped his legs around his waist. Ben groaned softly as he positioned his cock at Brian’s entrance, and then thrust inside him forcefully. Brian threw his head back against the cool tiles as Ben slowly increased his speed, his hand still stroking Brian’s length.

“Oh fuck Ben, faster” Brian moaned as their hips brutally collided, splashing the hot water. He held on firmly as his body started to shiver in anticipation of release and pushed his mouth towards Ben’s. Ben moaned as he pounded into Brian’s tight arse and grasped his hip, lifting him up slightly in order to hit his prostate. He thrust harder as he felt himself coming close to the edge and wrapped his hand more tightly around Brian’s cock. Brian’s pants and moans grew louder as he felt the exhilaration building inside of him, and with a loud cry he came across his stomach. Ben gave a final push as he came too, gripping Brian’s shoulders and pulling him close as their breathing subsided. Brian slid off him carefully, and stood on shaky legs whilst enclosing his mouth around Ben’s. They let the water flow over them, cleaning away any traces of cum, before washing each other gently.

Ben sat on the bed and gazed around the room. Brian was in the bathroom, fixing his makeup, and Ben smiled to himself as he heard him singing into the mirror. He lay back on the bed, stretched out and stared up at the ceiling. Things were going so well, he could hardly believe it. He shifted slightly as he felt his mobile phone vibrating in his back pocket, and slowly pulled it out and answered it.

Brian walked out of the bathroom just as Ben was finishing the phonecall, and sat on the bed next to him.

"Who was that sweety?" he asked, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Oh it was Clémantine. A few of our friends are down in the village tonight, and she wondered if we would like to go to the pub with them later." Ben replied.

"Yeh that would be nice." Brian said as he rummaged through his bag, obviously looking for something. "What are we doing today then?"

"Ahh I have something nice planned for us.." Ben said mysteriously, causing Brian to look up.

"Ooh what?" he asked, clutching something in his hand as he pulled Ben up into a sitting position.

"It's a surprise" Ben replied infuriatingly, "What's in your hand?"

"I won't show you unless you tell me where we're going" Brian said with a smirk, knowing that Ben couldn't stand surprises either.

"Ahh fine. Show me first, then I'll tell you" Ben tried to compromise.

"But what if you don't tell me?" Brian pouted.

"Then you'll have to punish me" Ben replied with a wink.

"Fair enough.." Brian said, shyly pushing a small object into Ben's palm. Ben ran his thumb over the metallic indentations, lost in thought for a while.

"I er.. bought it from the market on Saturday.. I just thought of you.." Brian explained quietly. A small smile crossed Ben's face as he stared at the pendant.

"You bought this for me?" he asked, looking up at Brian.

"Yeh.. I have the same one" Brian confessed as he showed the pendant around his neck. Ben smiled at him, and leant forward to kiss him softly. He sat still while Brian hooked the necklace clasp around his neck, and sat back to admire it.

"Thank you" Ben said quietly, wrapping his arm around Brian's back. Brian reached out to stroke his cheek, running his fingers delicately over the torn and bruised skin.

"It's healing quite well.." he said, his fingers trailing across Ben's lips.

"Mmm" Ben mumbled as he kissed the fingertips. Brian let his eyes fall shut as Ben's tongue darted out to moisten the pink flesh. He bit his lip and felt his cock twitch in jealousy over what Ben's tongue was currently doing to his fingers. It took all his self-restraint to open his eyes and force words out of his mouth.

"No stop trying to distract me!" Brian giggled, "Where are we going today?"

"Oh.. but I'd much rather be punished.." Ben winked.

"That can come later.." Brian replied, flicking his tongue across his lips, "Now come on, you know I hate surprises"

"We're going to the beach" Ben said as he beamed broadly.

"Oh excellent! I love the beach!" Brian said, "But will it be warm enough?"

"Yup, I checked the weather forecast. It's going to be a lovely sunny day today" Ben answered and stood up, stretching. Brian grinned at him, and went over to his suitcase to find his towel and shorts.

Half an hour later and they were just getting out of the taxi at Ste Maxime. Just as Ben had predicted, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature had seemed to double. They strolled along the warm, sandy beach, which was relatively quiet given it wasn't tourist season yet. Brian managed to find a secluded spot set a bit back from the shoreline, and laid out his towel. Ben set down the bag on the sand next to it and sat down beside Brian. He pulled his shirt off and rummaged around in the bag for the suncream.

"Can you rub cream onto my back for me?" he asked, glancing at Brian's revealed chest.

"Sure, turn around" Brian replied, as he knelt behind Ben and started rubbing the cool cream into his burning skin. Ben sighed slightly as Brian's hands kneaded his shoulders, and he leant backwards. Brian slid his arms round his chest, pulling him closer, and resting his chin on Ben's shoulder. He sucked on the soft skin below his ear, flicking his tongue out to tease the skin. He trailed small kisses across his jawline, before finding his lips and kissing him properly. When they broke away, Ben's skin was flushed and a faint smile was playing across his lips. He stood up, taking Brian's hand in his own.

"Come on, lets go in the water" he said as he pulled Brian to his feet.

“Just when it was getting fun..” Brian pouted, but allowed himself to be pulled up. Ben didn't seem to hear though, as he was already making his way to the waters edge. He started to wade in, and was up to his waist before he turned back. He was surprised to see Brian still standing on the shoreline, and looking quite apprehensive about entering the water.

“You're not scared are you?” Ben called back.

“Not at all..” Brian replied, looking cautiously at the water. He dipped one toe apprehensively in and quickly withdrew it.

“Fuck the waters cold” he said, causing Ben to grin broadly.

“Of course it is, you'll get used to it” he replied. Brian seemed to hesitate before stepping in the water. He shuddered as the cool liquid flowed around his skin, but moved determinedly out to join Ben. He came to a halt as the water rose above his chest though, and nervously called after Ben.

“Uhm.. Ben” he said. Ben stopped and turned to look back at him again.

“I'm shorter than you, you know..” he said, indicating towards the water level.

“So swim over here then, its really nice out here. The water is really clear.” Ben smiled back at him, but Brian didn't reply. Instead he just looked nervously at the water around him.

“You can swim can't you?” Ben asked as his curiosity got the better of him.

“Uhm..” Brian replied, playing with his fingernails.

“You can't? Aww why didn't you say something before?” Ben said in a slightly motherly voice and swam back over to Brian.

“Because I didn't want you to think I was stupid..” Brian replied quietly. Ben smiled and wrapped his arms around the smaller man.

“I would never think that of you. Look, we'll stay here in the shallower water” he said as Brian looked up at him and smiled back.

“Thanks” he said quietly as he twisted his arms delicately around Ben’s neck and leant upwards so their lips met. Their tongues gently moved together in contentment, before lust got the better of them and took over. Brian pushed his hips forward to let Ben know that their earlier sun cream antics had left him wanting more, and Ben grinned in response, lightly sucking on his lovers bottom lip as he teasingly trailed his fingers across his back. The cool water lapping around them and the warm sun on their bare skin created a perfect setting, and Brian couldn’t help but let out a sigh of contentment as they broke away. It felt like something out of a tacky romance film, but the atmosphere was making him feel soppy and loved. Brian almost considered cocking his leg up behind him and wearing a floral summer dress, although he wasn’t too sure how Ben would react to that.

“What are you smiling at?” Ben asked, his voice cutting through Brian’s absent-minded daydreams. He realised he must have been lost in thought with a cheesy soap opera grin stuck on his face.

“Oh nothing.. just feeling happy” Brian replied, unable to tear the smile from his face.

“Seems like your sarcasm has melted in the warm weather. Turned soppy on me now have you?” Ben teased, his fingers darting menacingly close to Brian’s ribs.

“Me? Soppy? Never!” Brian protested feebly, splashing some water in Ben’s direction to distract from the imminent tickling attack.

“Oh? Playing dirty are we now?” Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. Brian tried to look innocent, and failed hopelessly as his happy mood caused a loud burst of infectious laughter. Ben took that as his cue and started splashing Brian relentlessly, which caused some extremely girly squeals from him. He giggled as he watched Brian helplessly flailing around and attempting to splash him back, whilst trying to prevent water getting in his eyes.

Brian opened his eyes cautiously when he realised the attack had stopped, and was met by the sight of a clear ocean. And Ben was no-where to be seen. He turned around, thinking that maybe Ben was playing a trick and hiding, but after scanning every direction he started to get worried. The water seemed cold and foreboding now he was on his own, and he was concerned that something had happened to Ben. His ears picked up a slight sound behind him that might have been a splash, and he turned quickly, hoping for something. As Brian span around, something leapt out of no-where and collided heavily with him, knocking him underwater. He spluttered and coughed as strong arms pulled him to the surface and intense blue eyes met his gaze.

“Oh shit Brian, are you ok?” Ben asked with concern.

“Yeh I’m fucking fine. Just been nearly drowned by my arse of a boyfriend who thought it would be funny to scare me shitless. Just great” Brian commented as he spat out some seawater. Ben grinned as he put his arm around him and they started to walk back out of the water and onto the beach.

“Well nice to see the sarcasms back.” Ben smiled before remembering another detail, “And did you just call me your boyfriend?”

“Well yeh.. I mean… if that’s not alright I can..” Brian stammered quietly, but Ben turned him around so they were facing.

“It’s fine, more than fine actually.” Ben smiled back, “You know, I’m starting to like soppy Brian”

“Yeh well don’t get used to it, I prefer my sarcasm much more thank you” Brian winked at him. “Now lets get started on the tans. Can’t have a sunny day on the beach without sunbathing”

Brian and Ben spent the next few hours enjoying the good weather and managing to burn their necks in the process. They decided to leave at about five, just as a cold wind started blowing in from the ocean. Brian shivered slightly and pulled a shirt on, being careful to not irritate his sunburnt skin. Ben wrapped an arm around his waist and they walked off the beach and back into the town.

“Which friends are we meeting with tonight?” Brian asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“Uhm, Antoine and Pascal” Ben replied. Brian thought for a moment, carefully processing the names in his mind.

“They sound nice” he concluded, earning a puzzled look from Ben.

“But I’ve only told you their names?” Ben said eventually as he stared at the smaller man.

“Yes but their names sound nice” Brian explained. Ben couldn’t help but laugh and ran his fingers through Brian’s hair, messing it up slightly. Brian pouted up at him, but the good mood was infectious and they were soon both smiling again.

They caught a taxi back to Laitue Bécote and inevitably found themselves back at the guesthouse. Brian had just silently assumed that Ben would prefer to stay with him for the while, as he still seemed a bit tense about returning to his own house. He also enjoyed having Ben stay with him. It was nice to fall asleep next to a warm body, and to wake up to a smile and a kiss. Which was something he hadn’t experienced for a long time since his last girlfriend.

Ben laughed lightly to himself as he stretched out on the bed. He had found himself waiting for Brian to finish in the bathroom for the second time that day and had eventually become bored and taken to lounging around the room. He twiddled his fingers and started playing absentmindedly with the edge of the bed sheets.

“Brian? Are you going to be much longer?” he called out as his boredom got the better of him.

“Nearly done..” Came the slightly muffled reply from the bathroom.

“You’ve been in there for nearly an hour, what can take this long?” Ben protested, the bed sheets no longer holding his attention.

“I want to look good for your friends.” Brian replied quietly, as he finally emerged through the doorway. Ben smiled and sat up slightly, wrapping his arms around Brian’s waist and pulling him down onto the bed.

“They will love you, you look gorgeous” he said, accentuating his comment with a kiss on his lips. Brian smiled back and tried to deepen it, his own tongue vainly searching out Ben’s and his hands sliding around his neck. Ben allowed himself to give in for a few seconds before pulling away grudgingly.

“Come on, I need to get home before we go to the pub” he explained as Brian’s pout turned into a frown.

“Home? Are you sure?” Brian asked, rubbing his hand on his back.

“Yeh.. I think. Well I need to get some new clothes anyway. I can’t stay in these all week.” Ben replied as he stood up and stretched slightly. Brian nodded in agreement and followed him out of the door and onto the landing.

“Well I’ll be with you. I can protect you if needs be” he laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. Ben just smiled slightly, and they continued downstairs.

It hadn’t been as bad as Ben had expected. He had been a bit nervous when he first stepped through the door, and half imagined something waiting in the shadows to jump out at him. But Brian’s hand on his arm and his warm presence next to him had comforted Ben a lot. He had a quick look around the house, checking his answer phone and his post, before grabbing some clothes for the stay at the guesthouse.

Now, on his way to the pub with Brian, going back to house didn’t seem as daunting as it did before. He felt safe in the company of someone else, despite the fact that Brian was barely 5ft 6 and would probably be useless in the face of a prospective attacker. He tightened his hold around Brian’s waist in a sort of silent appreciation as they walked through the wooden doors and into the warm atmosphere of the pub. Ben glanced around briefly, before spotting his three friends already sat in a table in the corner. He strode over with a grin on his face, and sat down after greeting them. Clémantine waved Brian over towards her and gave him a hug. He pulled up a seat between her and Ben, and smiled as Ben quickly introduced them all.

“Guys, this is Brian. Brian, this is Antoine and Pascal” he said, indicating to each person. Brian nodded his greetings and sat back, amused as the three friends settled into a lively conversation.

After a short while, Brian realised that Antoine was staring at him in a curious way. It made him nervous as he felt his eyes boring into the side of his head. He shifted his chair slightly closer to Ben’s and tried to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. Once the conversation had died down though, Antoine spoke, voicing his question in Brian’s direction.

“You look familiar.. I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere before. But I can’t figure out where” he said. Brian was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say incase it revealed his true identity to Ben.

“Well he’s quite a famous writer in England, so maybe you’ve seen him in the newspapers before?” Ben replied, resting his hand on Brian’s knee and smiling at him. Brian just nodded weakly in agreement as Antoine seemed to think for a moment.

“Yeh that’s probably it. Got yourself a rich man then Ben? Are you going to become a pampered toyboy now?” he replied, laughing towards the end with the other three.

“Oh I’m not after his money.. yet” Ben joked and Brian forced a smile, glad the attention was now off himself. He stood up quickly as he realised he needed a drink.

“Right, first round is on me. What does everyone want?” he asked.

“Flashing your cash already?!” Antoine smiled up at him, but still studying his face carefully.

“Watch it! Or you’re not getting a drink!” Brian laughed and Antoine held up his hands in defeat.

“Ok ok, Whiskey and coke for me” he said. Brian quickly went round the table, mentally noting their orders and then headed off towards the bar. He was getting quite worried about Antoine. This was the first time anyone had moderately recognized him, with the exception of Nicolas. He had been quite lucky really to keep his cover for so long.

“A glass of the house white, Southern Comfort and coke, Vodka apple juice, a bud light and a whiskey coke” Brian informed the barman and then leant on the wooden surface while he waited for the drinks.

“Actually, make that a double whiskey” he said as an afterthought, deciding his best method for tonight would be to get Antoine drunk to the point where he didn’t recognize him anymore. He traced invisible circles on the grubby bar top, relieved to be away from the attention but strangely missing Ben’s company. They had spent so much time together the past few days that being away from him felt strange. He sighed quietly. It wasn’t good to get this attached to someone, especially not when he didn’t know how long he would be in France. The barman brought him out of his thoughts by sliding the drinks across the bar towards him. Brian paid and thanked him, and then set off back to the table, where the four friends were now engaged in an animated conversation. He handed the drinks around and then sat back down next to Ben, clutching his own cold glass and listening intently to their chatter. It wasn’t long before he felt Ben’s arm sliding around his back. He looked up at him with a small smile on his face.

“I missed you, you know” he admitted, his eyes searching across Brian’s face.

“Me too” Brian replied as he let out a small laugh.

“Is that good?” Ben asked, his brow furrowing as he voiced Brian’s own concerns.

“I don’t know..” Brian said, leaning into his side.

They stayed like that for a good few hours, idly chatting and drinking more in the process. Brian had been making sure that Antoine was consuming more alcohol than he thought and it seemed to be working, as he hadn’t said anything else. The evident close friendship between them had made Brian miss his own friends though, and he badly wanted to talk to Stefan to clear up their argument. He carefully got to his feet and placed a kiss on Ben’s lips before heading outside. He sat down on the cold stone step and pulled out his mobile phone, effortlessly dialing Stef’s number. He put the phone to his ear and waited hesitantly as the ringing tone sounded out of the speaker.

“Hello?” Came Stef’s uncertain voice.

“Stef, its me. I didn’t wake you did I?” Brian asked.

“Oh Brian.. No you didn’t wake me” Stef replied, his tone sounding colder.

“Please Stef I’m sorry. You’re right, I was a selfish bastard for even thinking about staying here. I don’t want you to hate me” Brian said quickly in his effort to explain himself.

“I don’t hate you” Stef sighed, “I was being selfish too. I just couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. I don’t know what I would do if you didn’t live 5 minutes down the road from me.”

“Me either. You and Steve are the most important things in my life. I just..I need to stay here for a while..” Brian said, massaging his temples lightly.

“With Ben?” Stef replied quickly, almost accusingly.

“Yes with Ben. He’s the best thing that happened to me in a long time, and I want to see if it will work out you know?” Brian explained.

“Yeh I understand. And what if things do work out?” Stef asked, knowing the answer to the question but asking anyway.

“I’ll invite him to move back to London with me I suppose.. And I can’t really do that a week after meeting him. I need some time” Brian replied, smiling at the thought of Ben living with him.

“But time is something you don’t have a lot of. We had the record label on the phone today demanding to know where you had gone and why work had stopped. They will be on our arses if we don’t meet our deadlines.” Stefan pointed out, causing Brian to frown.

“Shit that’s not good.. I need to phone Alex. Do you think she can get me some time off?” he asked.

“I dunno. Maybe. It’s worth a try.” Stef replied hopefully.

“Ok well I’ll call her now. I know she’ll kill me for running off and calling her so late, but sooner rather than later” Brian said.

“Ok, ring me afterwards. Good luck” Stef said, as Brian said his goodbyes. He hung up, before quickly skimming through his phonebook to find Alex’s number.

Brian chewed his lip nervously as he waited for the phone to connect, and then took a deep breath as he heard Alex’s familiar voice on the other end.

“Hey Alex”

“Brian?! Why the fuck are you in France?” she demanded loudly. Brian almost dropped the phone in shock.

“Because I need to do some stuff here. Look I need you to get me some time off” he asked.

“We’re behind schedule as it is, what the hell is that important?” she said, a little quieter this time.

“Just something, I’ll tell you later. But please, I’m begging you, I really need this” Brian pleaded.

“How long?” Alex asked curiously.

“As long as you can get” Brian replied, waiting nervously as he heard paper shuffling.

“I can give you a month.. no more or my head and your recording contract is on the line” she said finally. Brian broke into a huge smile as he heard the words.

“Thank so fucking much, you’re unbelievable you know that?” he gushed.

“I know..” Alex sighed, “What shall I tell the record company? I don’t think they will accept ‘stuff’ as an excuse.”

“Something family related, like a big funeral or something. They will be too polite to pry.” Brian said.

“Ok. I want you back in the studio on Thursday 7^th April” Alex said sternly, slightly reminding Brian of a head teacher with work deadlines.

“Right, so that gives me nearly 3 and a half weeks? Thank you so much, I owe you bigtime” Brian said, unable to take the smile off his face.

“That’s ok, just don’t be late” Alex replied, laughing a little.

“I won’t. Bye” Brian said as he hung up the phone, immediately dialing Stef’s number again.

“How did it go?” said Stef’s eager voice before Brian could say anything.

“She’s given me a month off” Brian replied happily.

“Wow, she must have been in a good mood! Well that’s great for you” Stef commented, and Brian could tell he meant it.

“Thanks. It gives me some time to get to know him properly at least.” He replied.

“Or just fuck him a lot” Stef sniggered, and Brian couldn’t help grinning. The prospect was certainly very inviting.

“So what’s he like?” Stef asked curiously.

“About 6 foot, light blue eyes, dark short hair. He’s slim, but bigger than me you know.” Brian replied.

“Well that’s not hard, everyone’s bigger than you, you midget” Stef laughed, eventually being silenced by an annoyed “shush” from Brian.

“And he’s just lovely. He has a really kind and sweet personality, a bit unsure of himself at times and nervous, but really lovely.” Brian gushed.

“And is he a good lay?” Stef asked, giggling childishly.

“Steef! You’re being rather crude tonight” Brian replied in mock coyness.

“Well? You have fucked him haven’t you?” Stef said, still giggling.

“Of course, and I’m not telling you. I don’t kiss and tell” Brian replied huffily, pouting as Stef burst into laughter at his last comment.

“Yeah bollocks you don’t. Come on Bri, I want the details” Stef replied through laughter.

“Fuck off Olsdal” Brian grinned into the phone, jumping as someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to find Ben’s dark outline stood behind him on the step.

“Not interrupting anything am I?” Ben asked with a smile on his face.

“Oh no, I’m just talking to my friend on the phone.” Brian replied, glaring at the phone as Stef’s giggling could still be heard coming from the speaker.

“Ok, shall I go?” Ben asked, turning slightly towards the pub door.

“Oh no, stay. I want you to talk to Stef” Brian said, grasping his arm and pulling him down onto the step with him.

“Stef, this is Ben. Be nice to him” Brian said as he passed the phone over. Ben smiled as Stef introduced himself, and then laughed at a joke that Brian highly suspected might have been about him. He slipped his arm around Ben’s waist, pulling him closer and savoring the warmth in the cool night air. He rested his head on Ben’s shoulder, contently listening to their conversation and indignantly commenting every now and then when Stef made an unfair remark.

After a while Brian grew bored though, and grinned to himself as a thought came into his head. He shifted his position slightly and whispered into Ben’s ear. He then slowly brought his tongue out, and ran it across the edge of his earlobe. Ben shivered in response and tried to stay focused on his conversation with Stef. Brian moved his head slightly lower and gently sucked on the soft skin behind his ear. He smiled as he heard the effect it was having on Ben and slowly dragged his tongue down to the bottom of his jaw. He then trailed soft kisses across his neck, pausing halfway down to gently nibble and lick at the skin. Ben’s concentration was definitely diminishing now, and he let out a loud yelp as Brian bit firmly into his collarbone.

“What was that?” Stef asked curiously, as the sudden outburst shocked him.

“Brian is, ow, uhm trying to distract my attention by chewing on my neck it seems.” Ben explained, as Brian soothingly lapped at the bruised skin.

“Ok well I’ll er, let you go” Stef laughed.

“Ok, bye Stef. It was nice talking to you” Ben replied as he hung up the phone, and handed it back to Brian who had now dis-attached himself from his neck and was looking up at him with innocent eyes.

“What?” he asked, a smile playing across his lips.

“Don’t play innocent with me, now come on. We have to go back inside, my friends will be wondering where we have gotten to.” Ben replied, pulling him to his feet.

They wandered back inside and made their way over to the table. Pascal seemed to have fallen asleep on the table, and Antoine was busy amusing himself with beer mats. Clémantine grinned at them as they sat back down.

“And where have you two been?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

“We were talking to Stef” Brian explained, but she didn’t seem convinced.

“No really, we were. What happened to those two?” Ben asked as he smiled at them.

“Too much alcohol” Clémantine laughed.

They all stayed chatting for a while longer until the barman announced it was last orders.

“Ok, we had better get going” Ben said, standing up and going over to Clémantine.

“Yeh me too, I just need to call these two a cab” she motioned to their two very drunk friends. Ben laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“See you later Clém.” Brian said as he gave her a hug goodbye. Ben waved to the now practically comatose Antoine and Pascal, and grasped onto Brian’s arm as they walked rather unsteadily outside.

They stumbled in silence up the road towards the guesthouse, as it was only 5 minutes away from the pub. Brian was racking his brains as to how he could reveal to Ben who he really was. He shook his head furiously at the last thought. His occupation didn’t make his personality change, he was still the same Brian, rock star or not. It was just a job title, yet he was still unsure how Ben would react to that information.

“You ok?” Ben asked, looking at him curiously. It took Brian a few seconds to realise he had been muttering out loud.

“Yeh I’m fine.. I just need to tell you something..” he replied, trailing off towards the end.

“Oh?” Ben responded, raising an eyebrow. Brian opened his mouth to speak, but the words got stuck. He couldn’t do it, not now, not when he was so unsure of how Ben would react.

“I had fun tonight” he replied eventually, defeated in his own mental conflict. Ben smiled down at him.

“Me too, but the night isn’t over yet” he said as he winked mischievously.

“Oh, and do you have something in mind?” Brian asked, glad the subject had been taken off himself. It gave him less to think about, and thinking was starting to hurt his head.

“I do believe you promised to punish me earlier” Ben grinned, with a wicked glint in his eye. Brian giggled loudly as they crept into the silent guesthouse.

“Shhh people are trying to sleep” Ben scolded.

“I can’t help it when I’ve just discovered my boyfriend is a kinky bugger” Brian whispered, breaking into another fit of giggles. Ben simply shrugged his shoulders, still grinning and looked down at the small figure leant against him.

“Yes well, I’ll just have to silence you myself then” he smiled, easily pinning Brian against the wall and pressing their lips together. Brian mumbled something of a protest but soon gave in, willingly submitting as he slid his hands up Ben’s shirt. Their kisses became more desperate as the alcohol and passion took over, hips furiously pushing against each other and tongues fighting for space. Brian rolled out from underneath Ben gasping for breath and grabbed his hand. He led him upstairs quickly and silently, neither of them needing to talk as they both knew what was coming. They managed to stumble in the door, rapidly closing it behind them and attempting to make as little noise as possible. Brian had barely taken two steps into the room when Ben’s frenzied hands pulled his shirt over his head in one swift movement. He dropped his head and clamped his lips around one soft pink nipple, teasing it with his tongue and lavishing attention to Brian’s chest.

“Fuck you’re horny!” Brian gasped, watching in amusement as Ben pulled away to grin up at him.

“How can I not be when I’m in a room with you?” he replied, pushing Brian backwards gently so his legs hit the side of the bed. Brian allowed himself to fall back onto the soft mattress and watched with lust-laden eyes as Ben crawled across his body.

“So sexy..” he mumbled as he kissed his chest, his tongue circling the supple skin. Brian let his eyes fall shut for a few brief moments, moaning softly as Ben’s hand stroked his growing erection through the thin fabric of his jeans. He blindly reached out to undo the remaining buttons on Ben’s shirt, sitting up slightly to get a better view. After a few seconds he triumphantly pulled the material free and flung it across the room, giggling as it caught on the top of the wardrobe.

Brian turned his attention back to Ben as their mouths clashed together, his hand sliding between their bodies with the intention of removing his jeans. Brian lifted his hips helpfully as the unwanted clothing was pulled away from him and resumed kissing Ben. Within moments they were both fully naked, sitting on the bed astride each other. Ben reached out tentatively, his hand trailing slowly along Brian’s cock, eliciting a moan from him.

“Brian? Does it hurt?” He asked shyly, his passionate confidence from earlier now seeming to waver.

“Does what hurt?” Brian replied as he rested his chin on Ben’s shoulder, kissing his neck softly.

“You know what..” Ben said, ceasing his hand movements and causing Brian to pull back and look at him carefully.

“Yeh it does” he replied after a moment, “But the feeling it creates is unbelievable. The sensation of someone filling you completely is indescribable, and you will come harder than you ever have before” he finished with a wink. Ben looked deep in thought for a while, chewing on his bottom lip pensively.

“Do you want to?” Brian asked cautiously as Ben looked up at him, staring deep into his eyes.

Ben was silent for a while, obviously contemplating it.

“Yeah… yeh I do.” He replied finally, causing Brian to smile. He pressed a kiss to his lips and allowed himself to be pushed onto his back.

“Just, be gentle with me?” he added softly and Brian laughed quietly at his concerned expression.

“Of course I will” Brian said, kissing the tip of his nose and allowing his hands to roam over the now familiar territory of Ben’s chest. He gripped his hips tightly and slid himself down Ben’s body with ease, lightly trailing his tongue along the burning skin. He dragged the tip across the length of his cock, waiting for the all too familiar moan from his lover’s lips. Ben gasped his appreciation and Brian continued, sucking lightly on the head before wrapping his lips around the whole length. He grazed his teeth on the underside as he pulled back up, and watched Ben’s reaction as he gripped the bed sheets tightly.

“Ooh fuck” he moaned, involuntarily bucking his hips upwards. Brian smiled and moved his tongue down to the base of his cock, teasing the delicate flesh. He continued further down, nipping gently at the skin and trailing his tongue around his testicles. Brian let his hands wander from their position on Ben’s hips round towards his firm arse and trailed his fingers along the cleft. Encouraged by the pants from above him, Brian allowed his tongue to follow the trail his fingers were making, tickling around the soft skin. He stopped for a moment as he reached his entrance then hesitantly flicked his tongue around it. Ben’s body broke out in spasms underneath him as he pushed one delicate finger inside and licked around the opening, lubricating it with saliva. Brian quickly glanced at Ben’s reaction before withdrawing his finger carefully and adding a second digit.

“Ahh fuck” Ben gasped, wincing slightly.

“Are you ok?” Brian asked concernedly.

“Yeh, just don’t stop” Ben replied. Brian smiled up at him and placed a kiss on the inside of his thigh as he pushed his fingers apart. He continued to make a scissoring motion whilst stroking Ben’s leg to try and relax him. After a while he added a third finger, pushing slowly inside. Ben seemed to have relaxed by then, as he didn’t look in pain. Brian crept halfway up his body and pulled his head down to kiss him. His tongue danced around Ben’s mimicking the actions his fingers were making, carefully stretching his muscles. He slowly withdrew them as he pulled away breathlessly, gazing down with lust-filled eyes.

“Are you ready now?” he asked.

“Yeh..” Ben replied, his eyes searching across his face.

“You sure?” Brian asked.

“Of course” Ben smiled up at him, “Now fuck me”

Brian almost came at those words, and blindly reached out to his bedside table to grab the condom and lube. He sat back on Ben’s chest and ripped the packet open, before rolling the condom over his hard cock and moaning slightly at the contact. Ben gazed at him in amazement, and reached out to grasp the lube before Brian. He squeezed some onto his hands and liberally applied it to Brian’s length, moving in long smooth strokes. Brian deftly shuffled backwards and lifted up Ben’s legs. He wrapped them around his waist and moved forward so his cock was positioned at his entrance. He reached out to grasp his hip with one hand, and held Ben’s own hand with his other. Ben nodded up at him, keeping his gaze intently.

Brian pushed the head of his cock in slowly, watching as Ben’s eyes screwed tightly shut. Ben squeezed his hand as flashes of pain shot through him, quickly fading to a dull stinging sensation. Brian pushed gently until the base of his cock bumped against his hips, and paused for a moment.

“Is that ok?” he asked softly. Ben nodded in response as his body grew used to the feeling of his muscles being forced apart. Gaining confidence slightly, Brian started to withdraw in one steady long stroke. He stopped when he had pulled out nearly all the way and gave Ben’s hand a reassuring squeeze. He pushed back in as he managed to build up a slow rhythm and watched the effect it was having on his partner.

Ben panted breathlessly as the pain ebbed away to be replaced by a strange tingling sensation. A fine film of sweat collected on his body as Brian continued to thrust in long slow strokes.

“Ok now I’m going to..” Brian gasped as he lifted Ben’s hips slightly “.. hit your prostate”

He pulled back and paused for a second, before thrusting forcefully in at the new angle.

“Oooh fuuck” Ben moaned, causing Brian to grin.

“This is the good part..” he managed to say in between pants. Ben silently agreed, then thoughts of Brian invaded his mind as he hit the wall of muscle over and over again. Brian started to thrust harder and faster, his hips slamming against Ben’s repeatedly. He moaned loudly as Ben’s tight insides furiously massaged his cock and let go of his hand as he noticed Ben’s own cock wasn’t getting any attention. He ran his fingers along the length before grasping it firmly, delighting in the moans coming from Ben. Brian started to pump it in time with his own thrusting, and started to move quicker as he felt the familiar sensation creeping through him. He threw his head back as pure bliss set in and muttered expletives to the room around him. Ben’s hands crept around his waist, pulling him down so their chests were touching and their lips pressed together. They continued rocking intensely with each other, their passionate kisses only heightening the sensation. Ben moaned as he felt himself drawing nearer to the edge and gripped onto Brian’s back tightly. He dragged his fingernails across the skin, crying out as his cock convulsed and an immense orgasm spread through his body. His cum pooled between their chests, and Brian continued to thrust as his own release grew close. He sat back up and locked his gaze onto Ben’s as an indescribable sensation flooded his veins, his cock exploding furiously amidst a clamour of groans and shouts.

Brian collapsed onto Ben’s sticky chest, attempting to get his breath back. His cock twitched grudgingly and he pulled slowly out of Ben. Ben gasped slightly as he withdrew, then pulled the used condom off him and threw it into the bin. Brian rested on his elbows above him and smiled.

“Ok?” he asked.

“Perfect” Ben replied, smiling back at him.

“Mmm, but we’ve got you all messy” Brian said, swirling his finger in the cum. Before Ben could reply he had lowered his head, licking his chest clean and swirling his tongue around his nipples.

“That tickles” Ben giggled softly, lifting Brian’s chin and kissing him.

“That was amazing.” He said breathlessly. “You’re amazing” he added as an afterthought.

“So are you.” Brian replied, brushing a stray piece of hair out of his face. He lay down next to Ben, one arm flung across his chest and the other linking hands with his lover. He sighed contentedly as Ben pulled the covers across them and a feeling of warmth and security crept into his mind.

Brian absentmindedly tapped his cigarette end on the edge of the windowsill. It was so dark and quiet, just gazing out onto the sleeping village. He felt like he could stay there forever being enveloped by the balmy night air. A soft murmuring from behind him made him turn around, his eyes barely making out the sleeping figure on the bed. They had stayed up for a while, talking softly and exchanging gentle kisses, and yet he didn’t feel that tired. Brian smiled as he remembered he didn’t have to get up at a specific time the next morning, and that he was free to spend the next 3 weeks with Ben doing as he pleased. It was certainly a pleasant thought.

He finished the cigarette and flicked it out the window into the inky darkness below him. He crossed the room silently and slipped under the bedcovers, resuming his comfortable position wrapped around Ben.

It was hard to believe that a week previously he had never met Ben, and the thought of living in Laitue Bécote for a month hadn’t crossed his mind. It was funny how fate seemed to work, and Brian was inwardly praising Steve for starting that argument with him. He couldn’t imagine not knowing Ben now, and he felt as though they had become really close in the few days they had known each other. Maybe it was true love? The kind you read about in fairy tales where the handsome prince sweeps the beautiful princess off her feet. Or maybe it was just real life, and Brian had finally found the person that was right for him.