Page 10 of Virgin Skin

“Yes.”

MILO

I don’t know if his answer makes me feel better or worse. It’s on the tip of my tongue to argue with him, to point out again that all the things that would normally make this situation creepy and wrong don’t exist. Yeah, his friend is my dad, but it feels like a technicality. But watching Piston rub his hands over his face and seeing the heavy droop of his shoulders, maybe it’s better if I just leave it alone for now. This obviously isn’t the way he wants things either.

“Are you always so self-sacrificing?” I smirk.

He huffs a laugh and sits up straight again. “I only agreed to answeronequestion.”

“That’s a yes.”

He chuckles again but doesn’t deny it.

“You know how I met Hero?”

It’s obviously a rhetorical question, but I shake my head anyway, scooting forward in my seat, eager to hear something about my dad. Since I was the product of a one-night stand, my mom didn’t know anything beyond his name and where he lived. Luckily, that was more than enough to find him. But who he is, that’s a complete mystery to me, aside from the little I’ve been able to piece together from his social media. But even that focuses mainly on the tattoos he does instead of his personal life.

“I was twenty-one or twenty-two, scrawny as hell and more righteous indignation than common sense. Arrow and I had been best friends since we were pre-teens, totally inseparable. We were living in Milwaukee at the time and Arrow had a bit of an anger problem he hadn’t managed to get a handle on yet. We were at a bar one night, and I was nursing a beer, but he was several drinks in and starting to get mouthy as hell, looking for trouble or an excuse to cause some.” Piston has a far-off look as he tells the story, a fond smile on his face. “It didn’t take long before he got exactly what he wanted. This pissy little twink sitting at the other end of the bar didn’t like something Arrow said, fuck if I can remember what it was now. Whatever it was, this little spitfire jumped off his stool and kicked it halfway across the room.”

“Shit.” I chuckle.

“Yeah, shit,” Piston agrees. “Arrow towered over him, but he didn’t give a fuck. It only took a few seconds of them posturing and getting in each other’s faces before the bartender told us all to get the fuck out. So, I followed them into the parking lot and tried to talk some sense, getting between them and even offering them both twenty bucks to just cool it.” He rubs his jaw and his eyes twinkle. “And then out of nowhere, there was Hero. He sauntered around to the side of the bar where they were gettinginto it and whipped his dick out to take a piss right against the building.”

I bark out a surprised laugh. “What?”

“It was enough of a distraction that they both just stopped and stared for a second, trying to figure out what the hell was happening. Then he zipped up, turned to Arrow and the unhinged twink and said, ‘this place sucks, you guys like pizza?’ And that was that. Arrow and Jaguar forgot what they were fighting about and the four of us walked down the street to split a pizza.”

“That’s…” I shake my head and grin. “Not what I was expecting.”

“Me either, but twenty-four years later, we’re all still friends. Tighter than friends. Practically brothers.”

The implication settles over me.

Well, fuck.

“Thanks for telling me that story. I’ve wanted to know my dad for as long as I can remember. It still feels surreal that I might actually get to.”

There’s understanding in his gaze, and it looks like he’s weighing his next words carefully.

“I didn’t know my dad either. He took off before I was even born. I thought about looking for him once or twice, but then I decided ‘fuck it, if he doesn’t want me, I don’t want him.’” The waitress chooses that moment to drop our food off. Piston stops talking for a minute, giving her a nod of thanks and immediately popping a fry into his mouth. Once she’s gone, he goes on. “It’s different though. Hero didn’t choose to leave you; he never knew you existed.”

I pick an onion ring off my plate and bite into it, chewing slowly while I think.

“If he’d known, do you think he would have wanted to be around?” As soon as I ask it, I want to take it back. It makes me sound like such a needy little kid.

“Yes,” Piston answers without hesitation. “Without a doubt.”

“Thanks.” I smile, and a brief silence falls between us again.

The heavy mood lifts and we both dig into our food, steering towards surface level topics while we eat. We talk about movies and video games, and I try not to fixate on the way he licks the grease off of his lips in between bites.

We finish eating and I reach into my pocket for my wallet so I can cover my half of the bill. My heart sinks as I pat my empty pockets, standing up to check my back pockets even though I can tell they’re empty without even reaching inside.

“Fuck,” I groan, my stomach sinking. “When Hero stopped by, I completely forgot I left my wallet and motel key in the room.”

Piston frowns then waves me off. “I’ve got it.” He tosses down enough cash to cover the whole meal and a tip. “Are you going to be able to get another key tonight?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be able to?” I put Piston’s jacket back on, my cock thickening eagerly as his scent wraps around me.

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