Is It Possible...?

Hi everyone. I know it's been a long time since I last posted a chapter and I sincerely apologize for it. I was very busy with finishing my school year and final exams and projects and all that crap (thank you, Cal, for pointing that out). I also had a health scare that pretty much made me afraid to do anything, including write (don't worry, I'm fine). But it's finally summer and I have a lot more free time now, so I'm going to try and get back on the writing program again.

It's going to take a little time to get fully back on it, seeing as I haven't really taken the time to sit and write for hours on end for at least a month. But I'll work my hardest to get my next chapter out as quickly as possible (and I think I have a good idea about what I want to do). It may take a bit of time, but I hope you all can be patient for it.

And I know it's a bit late, but I'd like to take a bit of time to thank every single one of my readers that has given me support and love for a long time. In May of 2013, I posted my very first chapter on this site (and it was a piece of crap in my opinion :P). But it showed me that I enjoyed doing this, more than I thought I would.

I thought my stories wouldn't get even a second glance when I first started, but I found my inbox filled with emails from people that have read my first story 'Am I...?', telling me how much they enjoyed it as a whole, or even just a single chapter. And some of those emails were from some big writers on the site (some of which I still talk to now). Seeing those emails and the comments on my chapters made me want to write even more.

I've posted now a total of 54 chapters over the course of 13 months, two full stories and a third in the works. I love what I do and I know I want to do it for the rest of my life. So I'm trying to become a professional screenwriter and am still hoping to turn at least one of my stories into a feature film or a TV series. I just hope I can turn it into a reality.

And some of you have asked who I would want to play Tanner and Greg if 'Is It Possible...?' were to make it to a screen. I'm not sure who I would want to play young Tanner and Greg, but I pictured Stephen Amell would play a good Tanner (if you don't know who that is, look up Arrow TV series on Google. He's the main character). And I picture Greg to be something of a Channing Tatum. Not sure about it. Let me know what you think.

So, yeah. I think that's all I really have to say. If you have any questions or comments, just send me and email or leave a comment. I try to reply to every email I get, but comments are a difficulty for me. But I do read all of them. Thanks again, everyone. I hope you enjoy Chapter 11 of 'Is It Possible...?'

The next two weeks go by a little slowly. Keith was released from the hospital two days after that night and immediately started therapy and medication to help him cope with his PTSD. It's a slow process, but I'm glad to be there to help my brother get through it. And it seems to be working so far.

Keith has been telling us about what he went through overseas. Hostage rescues, bomb defusing, seeing his team being attacked and some wounded and killed, it's a surprise Keith came back with his mind still intact. I'm wondering if the rest of Keith's team is going through similar situations back home.

Seeing as Keith's making a good amount of improvement, I tell him and my family about my plans to go to Eric and Zane's wedding. They all push me to go and will help Keith while I'm gone, Keith pushing me more than anyone. He tells me that just because he's getting help doesn't mean I need to abandon my life to help him recover.

Knowing Keith will be in good hands and his recovery seems to be going smoothly, I'm getting ready for the wedding. Seeing as it's winter now (or just about), I'm packing a lot of warm clothes as well as my tuxedo. I just hope the wedding isn't too cold. I finish packing my stuff and climb into bed for my flight tomorrow afternoon.

My alarm wakes me up a little after nine. Taking a few minutes to wake up, I pull myself out of bed and get myself showered and dressed. I grab everything I need and carry it all down to my car and head off to get Greg. I pull in front of his building and find him standing in front of the door with his bags.

I come to a stop and wait for Greg to load his bags into the trunk. He climbs into the passenger's seat and buckles in. "Morning," he tiredly says.

"Hey."

I do a quick look around and see the coast is clear. I lean in and give Greg a light kiss, seeing him smile as I pull away. "Better than any coffee," he says. "But I do still need my morning caffeine."

"We can grab some when we get to the airport. You have the tickets?"

Greg reaches into his pocket and pulls out two plane tickets. "Flight leaves in about three hours. Includes pre-check, all bags paid for, and first class with priority boarding."

I raise my eyebrows. "Wow. Richard Mercer paid had our tickets made that special?"

"No, everyone going to the wedding has tickets like this. That is except Eric and Zane. He gave them both a private jet to fly them to Lake Tahoe."

I bite my tongue to keep my jaw from hitting my lap. Once I regain my composure a bit, I shake my head out and look back at Greg. "Um...did you pack your insulin?" I carefully ask.

Greg smiles at me. "Packed enough for the whole trip. And thanks for looking out for me, Tanner."

Smiling at Greg, I shift into drive and head to the airport. After managing to avoid L.A. traffic to LAX (which is probably a first for me), I pull into the parking garage and Greg and I grab our bags and I lock my car. As I pull up the handle on my suitcase, I look at Greg. "Do you want to go incognito or stay as we are?"

He thinks about it for a minute. "I think we can stay the same. I mean how bad can it be?"

I shrug my shoulders and we start to walk to the entrance, but we walk two feet before we stop. "Fancy meeting you two here."

Greg and I turn and see Josh and Leo, both of them looking as incredible as the first day I met them (and I mean that in a completely normal way). I also see each of them holding one of their two kids Aiden and Jade. "Hey, guys," Greg says, setting his bags down and giving the two a hug before rubbing the tops of the kids' heads, who both giggle at Greg's touch. "Looking forward to the wedding?"

"Definitely," Leo says. "Been a little more than a year since Eric proposed to Zane, and I've been looking to their wedding ever since." Leo looks up at me and flashes his perfect smile. "Good to see you coming along, Tanner."

"Um...yeah. I think this wedding will be a lot of fun."

"The little monsters are coming along?" Greg asks, grinning at Aiden and Jade.

The two giggle again. Greg almost seems like an uncle to them. "Yeah," Josh says. "We don't like being away from them for too long, plus they always wanted to learn how to ski so it's a win-win for all of us."

"And they love Eric and Zane, so we figured they wouldn't want to miss their wedding," Leo says.

I look down at Josh and Leo's kids and see them staring up at me blankly. "Hi," I say. "Hope you remember me."

Aiden and Jade look at one another before looking back at me, neither of them saying a word. Josh and Leo look down at their kids, seeming confused. "That's weird," Josh says. "Aiden and Jade usually like meeting new people."

"We do like him," Jade says.

"We're just studying him," Aiden says.

Ha. These two really take after Leo. The two stare at me for a few seconds before looking at one another and nodding. "Mr. White must like Mr. Natick a lot," Jade says.

"Yeah," says Aiden. "Almost as much as Dad and Daddy like each other."

My stomach drops to my feet and I see Greg having a similar reaction. "Leo," he says. "How good are Aiden and Jade at reading people?"

Leo glances down at his kids for a second. "I'd say they're at the same stage I was when I was their age: just starting to learn how to read people. But I'd say they're a lot more accurate than I was."

"Does Mr. White like Mr. Natick a lot?" Jade asks, her eyes sparkling.

I look down at Greg and find him looking up at me. After a moment of silence, he and I smile at one another. "I like him more than I can even explain," I say, still looking at Greg.

Greg smiles even brighter and as much as I want to kiss him right now, it's too public right here. "So it's kind of official then?" Josh asks.

"Sure is," Greg says, still looking up at me.

"We're not completely out in the open about it," I say. "I can't exactly come out in my community at this point, as much as I want to, and Greg is against me coming out."

"We can understand that," Leo says. "We both came out in high school and it was incredibly nerve-racking at first. But everything worked out in the end and look at Josh now. Currently the face of the NFL, and the most beautiful face to represent it."

Josh grins at his husband and gives him a kiss, making Aiden and Jade gag. "Dad! Daddy!" Aiden says. "Gross!"

"Hey, you'll like it too someday, buddy," Josh says. He looks over at me and smiles. "Glad to see you've accepted yourself for who you are, Tanner."

"Me too." We all grab our stuff, Josh and Leo secure Aiden and Jade, and we all head into the airport. "So do you guys often deal with celebrity status?"

"A lot," Leo says. "Give it two seconds and you'll see that..."

"Josh Rusden!"

Well, that was fast. Josh smiles and hands Jade over to Leo, who takes her with his other arm. Josh sets his bag down and reaches into his pants pocket, producing a pen. He turns around and is met with a growing crowd of people. "So you're on parent duty?" I ask Leo.

"More often than you think," he says. "But it gives me a bit of time to tell Aiden and Jade embarrassing stories about Josh."

"Daddy!" Jade says. "Keep telling us about that party you and Dad went to at college!"

I hear a stifled laugh and see Greg pressing his hand to his mouth. "Oh, Josh is going to throw a fit when he learns that you told these two about that," he tells Leo.

Leo laughs and sets Jade and Aiden down and sits down in front of them, starting his story with Jade and Aiden completely focused on him. I'm left watching as Josh and Leo do their thing, Greg standing next to me. "Oh my God! Tanner White!"

I look at the crowd Josh is standing with and see where the voice came from and I make a face at the man. Damn it, Josh. You're lucky I like my fans. The people that are finished with Josh rush over to me, thrusting paper and pens in my direction and screaming for pictures. "I think I'm going to go listen to Leo's story," Greg says, quickly rushing away from me.

If he weren't such a damn good kisser, I'd kick his ass later. Josh and I stay bogged down by the ever-growing crowd of people, but after what feels like an hour (which it is), the last few people get autographs and pictures and head on their way. I rest my hands on my knees and feel Josh walk over to me. "Tired?" he asks.

"That's a light way of putting it. How are you not tired?"

"I go to the airport a lot and it's often alone, so I'm usually swamped by 49ers fans. It was weird at first, but I got used to it after a while and I find it to be pretty fun now. But after the last Super Bowl, holy crap you have no idea how sore my hand and cheeks were after signing so many autographs and posing for pictures."

"Aw, the superstar had to sign some papers and smile a little after winning the Super Bowl..."

Josh makes a face at me and proceeds to slug me in the shoulder. I take note that I should move out of the way when Josh tries to punch me in the future. I can't fucking feel my shoulder and I don't think he was being serious. We walk over to Greg and Leo, who are still sitting with Aiden and Jade.

Leo takes notice and stands up off the floor. "Have a good time?" he asks.

"Always," Josh says. "C'mon. The plane leaves in a little over an hour."

We grab our stuff and make our way for security. Thanks to the pre-check, we get through security in no time and make it to our gate with plenty of time to spare. As we all take our seats, Josh sits down with Aiden and Jade on his lap. "Guys, this is going to be your first plane ride, so I'm going to lay a few ground rules."

Aiden and Jade turn all of their attention to Josh. "We're going to be in a small space when we're in the plane, so use your inside voices. If you need to go to the bathroom, tell either me or Daddy and we'll take you there. Your ears are going to pop and it won't feel good, but just plug your nose and force the air out through your ears.

"Do you both have something to do when we're in the air?"

"I have my coloring books and a few stories," Jade says.

"I was going to play cards with Daddy and maybe play a video game," Aiden says.

Josh smiles at his kids. "I love you both."

He gives both Aiden and Jade a kiss and leans back in his seat, Aiden and Jade still settled on his lap. I find myself smiling at a proud father and his kids with his husband seated next to him. "It's wonderful, isn't it?"

I look to my right and see Greg looking at the family. "Seeing them?"

"Yeah. I mean think about it. Twenty years ago, something like this may not have been possible. But now you see families like this all over the country."

I look back at the Rusden-Trigons and see Josh playing with Aiden and Jade as Leo looks on smiling. Greg's right. Back when I was a kid, people would look at a family like this with disgust. Now, I'm seeing people all around us glancing in Josh and Leo's direction and laughing before going back to their business.

I look back at the family sitting in front of me and feel myself smiling as well. "Yeah. It really is amazing."

Time quickly passes and before I even know it, we're up in the air on our way to Lake Tahoe. The plane ride is a relaxing one and I notice that Aiden and Jade are incredibly well behaved. Neither of them make a sound throughout the whole flight and are absorbed in their own heads. Josh and Leo have raised them really well.

About an hour and a half later, we touch down in Lake Tahoe and get off the plane in no time. As we exit the plane terminal after grabbing our bags, we find a man in a tuxedo holding a sign reading 'Mercer-Swanson Party.' He looks to be in his mid-forties with tanned skin, light brown hair that seems to be greying on the sides, and a sharp face.

I see Josh and Leo smiling at the man. "Welcome to Lake Tahoe," the man says. "Hope the flight wasn't too bad."

"Wasn't bad at all," Leo says. He turns to me and gestures to the man. "Tanner, this is Sebastian. He's the Mercer family butler."

Butler?! Sebastian gives me a light bow. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. White. We're happy you could make it to Zane and Eric's wedding."

I look down at Greg. "Did you know about this?"

"I met Sebastian for the first time when I was still at Stanford," he tells me. "It was a bit different at first, but he's pretty cool when you get to know him."

"The limo is waiting to take you all to the resort," Sebastian says. "Please follow me."

Well, hello high society. I don't think we've ever met. We all follow Sebastian outside, where I'm met with a blast of ice-cold air. I immediately shove my hands into my jeans to brace against the cold. "I warned you to wear a jacket," Greg says.

"I knew it would be cold, but not this cold..."

"It's December and we're in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. What did you expect?"

I roll my eyes and put up with the cold as we follow Sebastian. We stop in front of a sleek black limo and after I gawk a bit, I put my things into the trunk and climb in, only to gawk a bit more. "We'll be heading to the hotel in a little while," Sebastian says. "We just have a few more people we're waiting for."

"Sounds good, Sebastian," Josh says.

Sebastian closes the door and I keep looking around the limo. "Should I have given you a little warning?" Greg asks me.

"Some would've been nice. But this is pretty cool."

"You should see Mercer Mansion," Leo says. "Most unbelievable house I've seen in my life."

"Dare I ask?"

"All you need to know is that it's a single house and it has it's own zip code," Josh says.

And I suddenly feel nauseous. The door opens and four people climb into the limo. "Nice, you guys are already here," Mr. Presley says.

"We thought we would've beaten you," Governor Leif says. "Looks like your plane was faster."

I see my owners have brought their wives along with them. Mrs. Julie Presley looks as beautiful as ever, even dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with her hair in a messy bun. And it's the same with Mrs. Heather Leif, except she's a little more well kept with her hair, but her clothing is much the same as Mrs. Presley's.

I also see a young girl in Mrs. Presley's arms, giggling and taking a seat next to Aiden and Jade. I know from reading a few interviews that the little girl is Mr. Presley's daughter Ally. My owners and their wives take notice of me and Greg. "Huh," Mr. Presley says. "I expected to see Gregory here, but Tanner? You here is a bit of a surprise."

My face gets a little hot. "Um...Greg invited me to the wedding and I got to know Eric and Zane some over the last few months. Plus we have the week off this week, so...I said yes."

The Presleys and Liefs give us a weird look, and I'm thankful for the door of the limo opening again. In climb three more people, and these three I know a bit more. Ryan, Nate, and Cole climb into the limo. "Party's already here," Ryan says.

"Hope it hasn't started yet," Nate follows up.

Cole takes a seat with the rest of the kids, who have gone into their own little world of Aiden's deck of cards. "Hey, guys," Ryan says, rubbing the tops of Mr. Presley and Governor Leif's heads.

The two laugh and readjust their hair. "Hey, Ryan," the two reply. "Hey, Nate."

Nate gives them a similar greeting to Ryan, causing the two to fix their hair again. I look at the action in surprise, but remember Ryan saw these two grow up, so I dismiss it. "Hey, Tanner," the Rusden-Underwood couple says.

"Hey..." I weakly reply.

The couple takes a seat next to Josh and Leo. From outside, I suddenly hear a lot of shrieking and yelling. Everyone in the limo is confused as the door suddenly opens and two people jump into the limo, gasping for breath. Both of them are wearing hoodies, so I can't see who they are.

But I notice one is very tall. "I knew we should've gotten more security," tall man says.

"Yeah, but it would've been less fun that way," the second man says, laughing a bit.

Both men take a seat and pull off their hoodies. I feel my heart stop at who I see: Brian Mosley and Justin Robinson. "Hey, guys," Mr. Presley says.

"Hey, Mark," Justin says. "Everyone here already?"

"I don't think so. We're probably waiting on a few more people."

"Cool. We need a bit of rest."

"Tough time getting through the airport?" Mrs. Leif asks.

"You could say that," Brian says, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead. "My hood fell off when we were in baggage claim and someone saw me. My life flashed before my eyes when I saw that wave of people racing toward us."

"I bet most of it was spent playing one of your instruments," Leo says.

"You'd win that bet..."

The limo fills with a few chuckles, but I'm too shocked to laugh right now. I'm sitting in the same limo as a world famous rock star and a multi-millionaire music producer. The two look over and see me and Greg. "Gregory!" Justin says. "Awesome to see you!"

Greg smiles and walks over to the two, giving them both a hug. "Great to see you both too. Been a while, hasn't it?"

"About six months," Brian says. "Wish we could've seen you sooner, but we've been a bit busy."

"You and me both, Brian. How's prep for the tour coming along?"

"Fantastically," Justin says. "The new guitarist is a godsend and he works so well with Brian and everyone in the band."

"How's Mitch doing now that he's retired from the band?"

"His leaving was a disappointment, but we respect his decision," Brian says. "He's working great with Justin though and he's still helping out a lot."

"Good to know."

I see Brian looking over in my direction and he smiles. "Oh wow. Tanner White."

"Y-You know me?"

"Of course. I've been a Kings fan for years. Justin and I watch every single game together."

My face flushes at hearing that. "Um...thanks," I nervously say. "I've been a fan of yours for a while now too..."

Brian smiles at me. "I appreciate knowing the captain of the Kings is a fan of me and my band."

I find myself at a loss for words. "Okay," Mrs. Presley says. "Who else can feel the awkward in here?"

Much of the limo laughs while I just turn a darker shade of red. I feel like I'm sticking out like a sore thumb. From what Greg's told me, these people have been friends for years, most of them since high school. I've only met most of them within the last four months. The door to the limo opens again and two more people climb in.

These two I've never met before, but everyone else seems to know them already. It's a man and a woman. The man looks to be about my age with light brown hair, an in shape body, a handsome face, and several scars on both of his arms. The woman is quite attractive with almost black hair, tan skin, and a slim figure.

The two take an available seat and let out a sigh. "Sorry we're late," the woman says. "Danny here had to fawn over the food in the airport."

"Selena," the man (Danny) says, "what that guy was doing to that filet was criminal and you know it."

"Well, sweetie, that doesn't give you the right to jump over the counter and take the knife out of the man's hand and cut the filet yourself. I'm surprised security didn't come and haul your butt to jail."

Danny shrugs innocently. "I see you're still ADD when it comes to food, Danny," Justin says.

"And I see you still haven't shaved the beaver off your face, Justin," Danny replies.

Justin rubs his face with a pout. "Hey, my lip and chin get cold without it. And it matches my cheeks."

"The ones on your face or butt?"

Danny and Justin share a good laugh. "Tanner," Brian says, "this is Danny Walters and his wife Selena. Guys, this is Tanner White."

The couple looks over at me and I give them a smile. Almost immediately, the two go pale. "T-Tanner White?!" Selena almost shrieks. She jumps out of her seat and scurries over to me. "My God, I've been a huge fan since forever!"

Wow. Haven't seen a reaction like that in a while. "W-We're both fans," Danny says, making his way over to me and stopping beside Selena. "Eric and Zane managed to invite you?"

"I brought him along," Greg says. "We have the week off and he and Eric and Zane have been getting closer over the last few months, so I figured he'd like to see them get married. He said yes and here we are."

I smile at the two and they continue to stare. "Careful, guys," Nate says. "Get too close to the animals and they sometimes bite."

I shoot Nate a glare and the limo laughs a bit. "I like Eric and Zane," I say. "I'm happy to see them get married."

"Glad to have you here then," Josh says.

"Um...would it bother you for an autograph?" Selena asks. "I know you have the week off, but this is too awesome of an opportunity to pass up."

Laughing a bit, I reach into my pocket and pull out my pen. Danny and Selena quickly produce what they can find (which apparently are two vomit bags from an airplane). I quickly sign both of them. "Thanks, Tanner," Danny says.

"Yeah, thank you..." Selena breathlessly says.

"No problem." As the two start to head back to their seats, I remember hearing the name Danny Walters before. Now where...? Oh yeah! "Hey, Danny," I call to him.

"What's up?" he says, looking back at me.

"If it's not too much trouble, do you think I could get your autograph too?"

His face pales a bit. "Y-You want my autograph?" he asks.

"It would be for my mom. She has every single one of your cookbooks and reads them religiously. Would you mind?"

"N-No! Not at all!"

He makes his way back to me and I hand him my pen and a small notebook from my bag. He quickly signs a blank page and hands the pen and notebook back to me. "Thanks, Danny. My mom will really appreciate this."

Danny smiles brightly and makes his way back to Selena. As he sits down, the limo door opens and two women climb in. Almost immediately, Aiden and Jade jump up. "Mommy Courtney!"

They rush to the blonde of the two women and wrap themselves around her legs. The woman laughs as she takes a seat. Aiden and Jade climb up onto her lap and she gives them both a tight hug. "Ah, it's been forever since I've seen you two! How're my two favorite munchkins?"

Aiden and Jade both start speaking a mile a minute, the woman listening intently. "That's Courtney Malik," Josh says to me. "She's an old friend of ours and Eric and Zane's from college. She was our surrogate mother for Aiden and Jade."

I look over at Courtney and see she's a very attractive woman, with her long, straight blonde hair, bright blue eyes, sharp face, and nice smile. Aiden and Jade seem to love her. "Hi!" I look over at the other woman and see that she has light brown hair with a streak of pink in it. "I'm Meg Schultz! Wow! You're Tanner White!"

The name immediately pops into my head. "You're Meg Schultz? Wow, I've read Grey Hawk for years now. You've done some great work."

Meg almost looks like she's going to faint and presses her hand to her head in dramatic fashion. "Tanner White reads my comics! This makes my day!" She falls back into her seat with a huff. "God, the flight here was so boring! My phone and tablet died, so I had to stick to reading the magazines they put in the seats! I almost wanted to buy some of what was in it!"

I'm starting to like this woman already. I look around the limo and see it's almost full, but there's still enough room for a few more people. And cue the door opening again. This time, only one person enters, and it's a man with snow-white hair, an average frame, and surprisingly not many wrinkles.

Everyone looks over at the man. "Charles!" Josh, Leo, Greg, Meg, and Courtney say in unison.

The man smiles at the two. "Some of my favorite people! Good to see all of you again."

The man, Charles, gives each of them a hug and takes a seat across from me with a huff. "Tough flight, Charles?" Courtney asks.

"Oh, don't even get me started! The TSA groped me in more places than I can count just because I forgot to take off my belt! They're lucky I'm still kicking enough to not have to use a cane, otherwise they'd have bruises all over their butts!"

Much of the limo fills with laughter. "That's Charles Higgins," Greg tells me. "He was my dorm head in sophomore, Josh, Leo, Eric, and Zane's dorm head in both freshman and sophomore year, and Eric's old baseball coach. Charles, this is Tanner White."

Charles looks over at me and gives me an up and down look. "Hmmm, I'd ice your right shoulder a bit when we get to the hotel."

That's an unusual greeting. "Any reason why?" I ask.

"I see you're favoring your left shoulder a bit more than your right, so I'm guessing you strained it a bit during your last game. First an ice pack, then a warm compress, then two painkillers."

"I'd listen to him, Tanner," Greg tells me. "Charles has been coaching college athletes for over three decades now, so he knows when an athlete needs treatment."

I reach behind my head and scratch my neck, when I feel a sudden small shock of pain in my shoulder. "I know I'm right because I just saw you wince," Charles says with a bit of a smug look on his face. "Ice pack, warm compress, two painkillers."

I set my arm back down and nod. "Jason coming?" Leo asks Charles.

"He should be here in about ten seconds," Charles says. "He always likes to make an entrance with a bit of a scare."

I wonder who Jason is, but as I look around the limo, I see everyone trying to hold back grins for some reason. As I'm about to ask Greg for an answer, the limo fills with the sound of finger snapping. "Sorry I'm late," says a voice to my right.

My heart leaps up to my throat and I jump a solid three feet out of my seat, falling to the limo floor, holding a hand to my chest while trying not to swear in front of the kids. The limo erupts in laughter and I look to where the voice came from. Sitting next to my seat is a man who appears to be around his mid-twenties with a handsome face, light brown hair, a bit of stubble, a fit body, and a grin on his face.

Where the hell did this guy come from? "Haven't gotten a reaction like that since I introduced myself to Meg," the man says. "And her reaction wasn't nearly that bad." The man stands up and holds a hand out to me. "Sorry about that."

I stare at the man's hand for a second before taking it and getting back up to my feet and falling back into my seat. The man takes a seat next to Charles, who gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Tanner, this is my son Jason."

"Uh...nice to meet you," I say. "How did you sneak up on my like that?"

Jason grins and holds up his hand, giving his fingers a snap. He suddenly disappears and I'm left in shock. "Like this."

My hand rushes to my chest again at the voice. "How the heck did you do that?!" I say, trying to ease my racing heart.

"It's easy when you're a ghost."

And the heart that was in my throat a second ago is now in my feet. "A-A ghost...?"

Jason snaps his fingers again and is right back next to Charles. "I was killed in Afghanistan about fifteen years ago," he says. "I'd be in my forties now, but seeing as I'm not fully here anymore, aging really isn't really a problem for me."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. How the hell is no one else freaking out about this?! There's a fucking dead guy in the limo! "And I prefer you don't refer to me as 'dead,'" Jason says. "It makes me feel less alive."

D-Did he just read my thoughts...? "Tanner," Greg says. "Everyone in this limo knows that Jason's a ghost. Most of us have known him for about ten years."

"B-But how is he...?" I start to ask.

"The big man upstairs thought it wasn't my time quite yet," Jason tells me. "He told me I had too much potential to have died so young, so He lets me come to and from here as often as I want."

I shake my head out a bit. "This is so...freaky..."

"It takes some time to get used to, but he's just a regular guy," Greg says. "Although don't think about anything you don't want other people to know. He doesn't have a filter and has no qualms about reading other peoples thoughts."

I look back at Jason and find him smirking at me. "I'd really appreciate it if you stayed out of my head," I say. "There are certain things I'd really not like people to know."

Jason shrugs a bit. "No problem. If someone doesn't want me poking around their head, they just ask and I won't."

Well, that was easy. Jason eases into his seat and Charles gives him a pat on the shoulder, something which Jason smiles at. The limo door opens again and in climb seven more people, unfortunately most of them quite large. "Looks like we're late," says one of them with a backwards cap.

"Yup," says another guy. "Are there any seats left?"

"Yeah, we saved a row of seats specifically for you guys," Josh says.

The guys move through the limo and find the bench in question, all seven of them managing to fit. "Sure was a long flight from D.C." says a guy who...looks surprisingly similar to Eric, except I think Eric's bigger and his hair is lighter brown and Eric has stubble while the man is clean-shaven.

"Six hours," says the smallest of the group of guys. "Thank God Mr. Mercer paid for first class tickets."

The first man smiles and kisses the side of the smaller man's head. "That and the fact that I had you to entertain me the entire time made the flight bearable."

The smaller man rests his head on the first man's shoulder. "Tanner," Greg says, "this is Damien Branson and his husband Trevor."

Damien and Trevor smile at me. "Nice to meet you, Tanner," Damien says.

"Same here." I exchange a handshake between the two of them. "So how do you know Eric or Zane?"

"This guy here dated Zane back in high school," Trevor says. "It didn't end too well, but the two became good friends about nine years ago."

"I'm still surprised he managed to forgive me after what happened," Damien solemnly says. "But I'm happy he did. Now I'm here to support Zane and Eric."

"And these five meatheads here are Jack Christian, Ty Desantos, Shane Coro, Travis Phillips, and Brandon Vaughn," Greg says, gesturing to the five others.

The five men in question all make a face at Greg. "Shut it, Gregory," Jack says. "You're lucky you're a great guy or you'd be feeling my shoe in your throat."

Greg rolls his eyes as I make a few introductions with the guys. The door opens and I hear everyone groan at the prospect of another person trying to fit in here, but Sebastian pokes his head in instead. "Everyone comfortable?" he asks.

"Just enough..." Mr. Presley says, pressed against his wife and Governor Leif.

"Good to know. We're going to head off to the hotel now, so bear with the cramped quarters for a little while."

Sebastian closes the door and I hear him get in the front passenger seat. The limo starts with a jerk, everyone moving back from the sudden movement. "Okay," Jason says. "If this is going to be the ride to the hotel, I think I'll meet you all there..."

He's about the raise his hand to snap his fingers, but Charles grips his hand. "Boy, you're going to stay in this limo and suffer through this ride like the rest of us alive folk."

Jason sighs to himself and lowers his hand. "Okay, Pop. I'll stay in the limo."

He suddenly pushes off his seat and I see his body floating in the middle of the limo with his hands clasped behind his head. Everyone glares at the floating man, who doesn't have to suffer through the drive. "Oops!" I say. "Involuntary muscle spasm!"

My leg kicks up hand and my shoe rams right into Jason's lower back, causing him to crash into the limo ceiling with a loud thud. The limo erupts in laughter as Jason falls to the floor, rubbing his nose. "Aw, you're lucky I can't haunt you, Tanner..." Jason groans in pain.

"You deserved that," I say, laughing with the rest of the limo.

The limo continues to laugh as we drive to the hotel.

----------------

The limo comes to a stop about thirty minutes later and we all pile out of the limo and grab our stuff. I stick close to Greg as we walk inside the hotel. We find that the hotel seems to be deserted, save for the hotel staff. "So...Mr. Mercer was serious when he reserved this whole hotel?" I ask Greg.

"If there's one thing I know about Richard, it's that he's serious about most things."

We all stand in one large group, many of us unsure of what to do. Sebastian comes to the front and stands facing us. "If you'll all please wait a moment, our host will be here momentarily."

I look down at Greg for an answer, but he doesn't give me one. A minute later, a man appears from the elevators and I feel myself freeze. Richard fucking Mercer. I've never seen him in person, but Jesus Christ, the man's intimidating. He's a few inches shorter than me, but even at 56, he's in awesome shape.

His face is a mix of rugged and handsome, but it's sending cold shivers down my spine the more I look into it. It makes me forget that his dirty blonde hair is greying and that he's twice my age. He walks over to the group and greets us with a smile. "I'm glad you all could make it," he warmly says.

The group breaks up and gives Richard hugs one by one, leaving me in shock. "Most of us have known Richard a while," Greg tells me. "He's like an uncle to us."

Richard walks up to me and looks up at me. "Tanner White," he says. "I don't remember sending you an invitation."

And cue the sweat. "U-Um...Greg...invited me along, Mr. Mercer," I nervously say. "I'm...I'm just here to support Eric and your son, sir..."

After a minute, a low, infectious laugh escapes Richard's lungs. "God, you're acting like I'm going to rip your balls off and shove them down your throat." The statement takes me aback. "I'm happy to have you here, Tanner. Zane's told me some about you, so I think he'll be happy to see you as well."

Richard holds out a hand and I carefully take it. "Rich! You left me upstairs!"

I look past Richard and see a tall man with an imposing frame walking in Richard's and my direction. "Sorry, Todd!" Richard calls back. "Sebastian messaged me and I came down to greet everyone!"

The man walks up and I see he looks strikingly similar to Eric, just older. Same hair, same eyes, same grin and dimples. The man looks at me and I see his mouth open a little. "Tanner White!" he loudly says. "I expected Rich to invite famous people to the wedding, but I didn't think you'd be one of them!"

Wow, this guy's loud. "I didn't invite him, Todd," Richard says to the man. "Gregory invited him along. Remember, Gregory is Tanner's coach."

"Ah! Right!" The man takes my hand and gives it a firm shake. "I'm Todd Swanson, Eric's father. Nice to meet you, Tanner."

Well, I can see where Eric got his looks. "Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Swanson."

"Please call me Todd. Mr. Swanson makes me feel old."

"Yes, sir."

"And Todd," Mr. Mercer says, "I thought we talked about you calling me Rich."

"We did, Rich. I just intentionally didn't listen."

Mr. Mercer rolls his eyes. "I know how you feel, Richard," Greg says. "Tanner here calls me Greg when we aren't at work."

"Even though you don't like people calling you Greg?"

"He's the only person I allow to call me Greg. But when we're at work, it's Coach Natick or I ram his skate up his ass blade first."

"He's not kidding," I say, shuddering a bit.

The two men grin, knowing Greg will hold up his threat. "Oh, Gregory," Mr. Mercer says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key card. "This is the key to your room. Room 506. I apologize, but you and Tanner will have to share the room as all the other rooms in this hotel are filled with guests coming to the wedding."

Greg takes the key and looks up at me. "Do you mind sleeping in the same room for the next few days?"

We already sleep in the same bed, not that anybody knows it. "As long as you don't take up the counter space in the bathroom," I say.

"Fantastic," Mr. Mercer says. "I wish my wife Monica was here to greet everyone as well, but she's out with Todd's wife, Hannah."

"Hannah always enjoys it when she and Monica spend time together," Todd says. "It lets her see the finer things in life."

"I think we're going to go upstairs and unpack," Greg says. "Are there any plans for today?"

"Not at all," Mr. Mercer says. "The guests are allowed to go wherever they want. If you decide to order room service or pay per view, it's on the house courtesy of yours truly. And don't worry about tipping either. All the staff at this hotel are making extra pay for helping with all the guests."

Hello high society. I am awed by your presence and power. "I think a lot of the guys and some of the girls are going to Heavenly Mountain Resort tomorrow for some skiing and snowboarding," Todd says. "We can let you know more details if you're interested in joining them. I think Eric and Zane are going as well."

"Sounds like fun," Greg says. "What do you think, Tanner?"

"I'm usually on my skates, so skis would be a nice change of pace."

"We'll add you to the list then," Mr. Mercer says. "Until then I hope you enjoy your time here."

"Thank you, Mr. Mercer," I say.

"Please call me Richard."

I give both fathers a handshake before Greg and I head to the elevators. Once we're in and the doors are closed, I fall back against the wall and let out a breath. "God, that was fucking nerve-wracking," I say.

Greg laughs at me. "It's a little scary talking to Richard for the first time, but he's a nice guy when you get to know him."

The elevator stops on the fifth floor and we step out, only to be met by banging on a door. "C'mon, Zane! It's freezing out here!"

Looking down the hall, we see a man standing in the hallway, wearing nothing but a towel and banging his fist on a door. Even from here, I can see that man is Eric. Greg and I walk toward Eric, him not noticing us as he continues to bang his fist. "Nice getup," Greg says as we walk up.

Eric looks over. "Well, shit. This is probably the last thing I wanted to happen."

I find myself staring at Eric, seeing him for the first time with little clothing on. And Jesus, he's fucking...hot. Don't get me wrong. I like Greg and I don't think anything will change that. But now that I've come to terms with me being gay, I can easily admit to myself when I find another man attractive.

And attractive doesn't even put into words how Eric looks. His body is like that of an ancient Greek sculpture, not a single flaw to it with his chest covered by a light layer of hair. And with the wet hair on his head swooped down onto his forehead, the dark brown eyes, and scruff on his face, he pretty much looks like a walking wet dream.

I casually slide my hand into my pocket to hide the growing bulge. "So what's going on?" Greg asks Eric.

Eric rolls his eyes. "Zane locked me out of the room after I took a shower. I love that man, but he sure knows how to annoy me." Eric looks at me and smiles. "Nice to see you again, Tanner. Wish we could've seen each other again on better circumstances."

"Don't worry about it," I say. "I change in a locker room a lot, so seeing a guy in a towel doesn't bother me anymore."

The door suddenly clicks and Zane appears in the doorway, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs. "The banging stopped and I got curious," he says, leaning himself against the door and looking freshly showered himself.

And now that I can see Zane in little to nothing, I see that his body is covered in tattoos. I already knew he had full sleeves, but there's more ink than I thought. Some on his chest, a few on his legs, and I see some peeking out from his back, which is probably covered in tattoos. Not to mention the impressive body. Although smaller than Greg's, Eric's, and mine, it's still obvious he works hard at the gym.

Eric smiles and steps next to Zane. "You're lucky I'm marrying you in a few days, or I'd pound your ass."

"Promise?" Greg says, raising an eyebrow.

Eric laughs and kisses the side of Zane's head. "What room are you staying in, Greg?" Eric asks.

"506, which looks to be right across the hall."

"Nice. What about you, Tanner?"

"Same room." Eric and Zane both give me a quizzical look. "I was a late guest and all of the rooms were already full, so Greg and I are sleeping in the same room."

The two continue to stare at me, making me sweat a little. "Okay," Eric says, letting the subject drop. "You two have any plans tonight?"

"Not really," Greg says. "You?"

"We were probably just going to stay in and relax together," Zane says. "Flying can take a lot out of you, plus we figured a lot of people would be doing the same thing."

"I think I'm doing the same," Greg says. "What about you, Tanner?"

"I'm pretty tired, so I guess I'll join you," I say.

"Well, we don't want to hold you up," Eric says. "Plus we're kind of letting in a draft and I'm freezing, so we'll let you go."

"Thanks for coming, guys," Zane says. "It means a lot."

"I'm just happy to see you guys get married after ten years," Greg says. "Soon you guys will be Mr. and Mr. Mercer-Swanson."

I see Eric and Zane both smile at hearing the name. "I've been hearing that name ring in my head for the last nine years," Zane says.

"I've been hearing Swanson-Mercer a little more though," Eric says.

Zane makes a face at Eric, who interrupts it with a kiss. "Oops, we should go," Greg says. "Have fun, guys."

The door closes and Eric and Zane are still kissing. "Are they going to...?" I start to ask.

"Let's just say the rule of no pre-marital sex doesn't apply to them," Greg says, stepping to the other side of the hall.

He takes the key card and slides it into room 506. The door unlocks and we both step in, finding the room to be a very high-class one with a very large bed. I dump all my stuff on the floor. "Bed check."

I jump over the bed and land with a loud flop, letting my body ease into the soft mattress. "It's good..." I moan.

Greg takes a seat on the bed next to me and kicks off his shoes. "I don't think I'm going to leave this room until tomorrow," he says.

"I second that decision," I say, my face buried in a pillow. I push myself onto my knees. "I think I'm going to take a quick shower."

"Sounds good. I'll probably order some late lunch. You want something?"

"A burger sounds good right now. Medium with everything on it. And some fries and a Coke with it."

"Got it. Go shower. You smell like an airplane."

I roll my eyes and take a fresh pair of underwear with me into the bathroom. The bathroom is almost three times as big as my own back home, the bathtub alone enough to fill up half the space of my bathroom. I strip off my clothes and step into the large shower and turn on the water. Almost immediately, I feel better.

I take my time in the shower, letting the warm water and soap relax me. Finally deciding I've spent enough time in here, I shut off the water and step out. I quickly dry off and step into my clean underwear and carry my clothes back into the room. As I step back, I find Greg sitting on the large king bed with a plate of food on his lap.

But I'm paying more attention to the fact that Greg is only wearing a pair of his own underwear. "Have a good shower?" he asks me.

"I did. It's a good shower." I toss my clothes onto the floor and give my hair one last rub down with my towel. "I'm hungry..."

"Your food is on the cart."

Looking at the cart in question, I take my plate of food and my soda and crawl onto the bed next to Greg. The TV's on and I see the news is quietly playing, nothing really new on. "What'd you get?" I ask, taking a bite of my burger.

"Caesar salad and an order of fries." I give Greg a look. "What? I may be a vegetarian, but that doesn't mean I can't pig out every once in a while. Which is why I ordered us some dessert."

I roll my eyes and continue to eat my food as I watch the news with Greg pressed up against my side. I see Greg was hungrier than I originally thought and he's done even before I am. He sets his plate aside and leans back into the bed. I finish my own food and do the same. He and I continue to sit in silence for several minutes, neither of us taking our eyes of the TV.

Suddenly feeling very tired, I ease myself lower into the bed. "Taking a nap?" Greg asks.

"Maybe. The flight and that shower kind of drained me."

"I know how you feel." Greg suddenly climbs out of bed. "I think I'm going to take a shower myself. I'll be out in a little."

Greg goes and grabs a clean pair of underwear from his suitcase before closing the blinds and turning off most of the lights. I mumble a thank you as Greg closes the bathroom door behind him. I crawl under the cool covers and ease into the soft mattress as I hear Greg in the shower, softly humming to himself. The sound soothes me and I start to feel heavier and heavier.

I must've dozed off because when I wake up again, it's much darker than it was earlier. Reaching over to the nightstand, I grab my phone and click it on. I see it's about 1:00 in the morning, so I've been asleep for longer than I thought. "Hey, you okay...?"

Looking over, I see Greg's in bed with me, looking dazed and confused. "Sorry if I woke you," I say. "I just wanted to see what time it was."

I shut off my phone and set it back down on the nightstand before falling back into bed. "I can tell there's something on your mind, Tanner. Do you want to talk?"

I stare at the ceiling through the darkness, not looking over at Greg. "I don't know. I just fell...like I'm lying, I guess."

"Lying?"

"Yeah. I mean look at where we are right now. We're in Lake Tahoe at Eric and Zane's wedding, a same-sex couple, where their friends, some of whom are also same-sex couples, are here too. And all those couples have something in common: they can be open here."

Greg scoots a bit closer to me and reaches across my chest, pulling me a bit closer to him. "I know how you feel, Tanner. I've been out to all of these people for years and it's one big happy family with all of them. There's nothing more I would want than to have you join this family, but at the same time I want to protect you.

"People like Josh and Eric have been out since the start of their careers, while you've only recently come to terms with being gay. And if you were to come out, we don't know how the league will take it. Eventually, I think there will be a time when you can come out. But I don't think now is the best time."

"I just don't want that time to be after I retire from being a player..."

"Neither do I, Tanner."

I flip onto my side and can feel Greg's face a few inches from mine. I press forward a bit and give Greg a soft kiss before pulling him close to me. "We should get back to sleep," I say. "Don't we have to be up early?"

"Yeah, we're going skiing with some of the guys tomorrow. Mr. Mercer said the limo to the resort leaves at 10:00."

"Plenty of time. Night, Greg."

"Night."

Not even a minute later, I hear steady, easy breathing coming from Greg while I just stare at his sleeping face. Warmth fills my stomach and I hold Greg just a bit tighter and kiss the top of his head before falling back to sleep with him.

----------------

The next two days are spent relaxing and getting to know everyone at the wedding a little better. A lot of the people are incredibly nice and open and take pretty kindly to me. No one's suspected that Greg and I are together (except maybe Zane and Eric), and I still don't like that I can't be as open with Greg as I want to.

But right now, that's not the main focus. It's Eric and Zane's wedding day today and I'm putting the finishing touches on my tuxedo. Who the hell even invented bowties? They've got to be one of the most irritating things I've ever worked with. But I managed to get it tied and looking in good shape.

Stepping over to the dresser, I grab my cufflinks and start to get them on. "Greg, we need to be in the lobby in a few minutes!" I call to the bathroom.

"Just about done!"

The bathroom door opens and out steps Greg, dressed in an impeccable black suit that forms to his body perfectly with a silver tie. His hair is in a more casual style than his usual slicked back, but it looks no less perfect. I get my second cufflink on and walk over to him, meeting his eyes at he gazes up at me.

Clearing my throat a bit, I manage to smile past my flushed face. "You look great..."

"I know you do."

Bending down, I give him a soft kiss before grabbing my wallet, phone, and room key. "I think everyone else is already in the lobby," I say. "Better head down and meet them."

Stepping out of the room, Greg and I ride down to the lobby. As we step out of the elevator, we find several dozen people scattered around in tuxedos, suits, and dresses. "I've always wondered if people were allowed to wear white to a wedding if neither groom is wearing white."

"Mark, the questions you ask confuse the hell out of me."

Looking over, I find my two owners standing off to the side of the lobby. "Hey guys," Greg says as we walk over to them

"Mr. Presley, Governor Leif," I say.

"Tanner, for the last time you don't need to call us that when we're here," Mr. Presley says.

"I know, but it's a force of habit."

"So where are your wives?" Greg asks.

"Powdering their noses," Governor Leif says. "They'll be back in a bit."

And a bit is apparently five seconds as Mrs. Presley and Mrs. Leif walk up, Ally in Mrs. Presley's arms. All three girls are in very nice dresses. "Sorry that took so long," Mrs. Presley says. "This little one stole my purse and went and poured it all onto the bathroom floor."

"I thought there was candy in there," Ally protests.

"Sweetie, that wasn't candy, that was lipstick. I'm just glad I found you before you started to eat it."

"Looks like we're joining you."

Looking over, I find Danny, Selena, Meg, Courtney and Charles walking up to us. "Should I even ask where Jason is?" I say.

"I'm always behind you, Tanner..." says a sudden dark voice.

Feeling my heart leap from my chest, I drop to the floor out of instinct. The small group laughs at my misery. "Jason, if there weren't a kid here, I'd throw every curse in the book at you," I say, trying to regain my breath.

Jason laughs and holds out a hand, helping me back up. I see he's wearing formal army attire, a contrast to the usual tuxedos and suits most men are wearing. "I like the outfit, though."

"Thanks. I'll try to tone down on the jump scares."

I notice that Meg and Courtney are wearing the same exact dress. "Are you two bridesmaids? Or groomsmaids?" I ask.

"Yup," Courtney says. "We're groomsmaids for Zane. I'm just glad Monica has really great taste in fashion. This dress is so easy to move in and I look sexy as heck in it."

"So who's the best man for Zane?"

"That would be me."

"And I'm Eric's best man."

Josh and Leo have made their appearance, Aiden and Jade in their arms. Is there anything these two won't look good in? "Hey, guys," Greg says. "So it's back to old roommate assignments?"

"You guessed it," Leo says. "Zane asked me and Eric asked Josh and we both immediately said yes. Damien is also a groomsman."

"His ex-boyfriend?" I ask. "Won't that be kind of awkward?"

"They broke up over ten years ago and the two are really close friends now," Josh says. "Brody Mates is his last groomsmen."

I feel just a bit of jealousy bubble up in my throat. "Brody's here?" Greg asks a little too excitedly for my taste.

"He is, and he's standing right behind you."

Turning around, I find a man with blonde hair and fit body that's about Greg's height standing behind me in a pristine black suit. "Brody!" Greg says with a grin.

He walks over to the man and gives him a hard hug. "Good to see you again, Gregory," Brody says.

"You too. How's being Red Wings head coach treating you?"

"It's treating me well. And the Kings?"

"Amazingly. There's someone I'd like to introduce you to." Greg walks Brody over to me. "Tanner, this is Brody Mates, head coach of the Red Wings. Brody, I'm sure you've heard of Tanner White?"

"How could I not have?" Brody says, smiling up at me. "Nice to meet you, Tanner."

"You too, Brody."

We exchange a handshake, me gripping his hand harder than I normally would. "Hell of a handshake you got there, Tanner," he says, shaking his hand out.

I smile innocently at him and he goes and reacquaints himself with everyone else. "Someone's jealous," Greg says to me.

"I'm not jealous," I defensively say. "I'm just prepared for when we play against the Red Wings later in January."

"Sure, keep thinking that. And don't worry, Tanner. Brody's been in a relationship with his boyfriend Walden for the last four years and I think he's going to propose soon. So I highly doubt he'd try anything with me."

"If he does, my shoe's going up his ass."

"And there's my hotheaded boyfriend."

Quickly making sure no one's looking, I give Greg's ass a hard pinch, making him yelp and causing all the attention in the room to go to him. "Sorry," I say. "I stepped on his foot."

Everyone goes back to his or her business and Greg glares up at me. "I'll get you for that, Tanner."

"I hope so."

He and I exchange a laugh and join the rest of the wedding party.

---------------

About an hour and a half later, I'm sitting out in near-freezing weather with Greg sitting next to me. But thanks to the heaters Richard's set up, the wedding ceremony is very comfortable. And it could not be more picturesque. We're sitting on the edge of Emerald Bay, the dark blue water a stark contrast to the white snow that's covering every surface.

A small stage has been set up in front of the rows of chairs, a large, white wedding arch decorated with white vines sitting behind it. An officiant stands in the middle of the stage, dressed all in black with a smile on his face. Many of the guests are sitting patiently in their seats, Zane and Eric's families in the front row.

Greg and I are seated in the second row along with a few of Zane's old college classmates, some of Eric's teammates from both college and the Giants, and few more of their friends. Their families are sitting in the front row. "This is actually my first wedding," I say to Greg.

"I've been to a few before, so I'm pretty used to it. But this is definitely a good wedding to start with."

I couldn't agree more. Everything is damn near perfect, except for the fact that I can't hold Greg's hand while we're sitting together. But that's my own problem. Eric and Zane's groomsmen (and women) are standing on the stage, waiting patiently. The wedding theme begins to play and we all rise out of our seats and look back.

Starting their walk down the aisle are Eric and Todd, Eric wearing a dark grey suit and looking as handsome as always. Now that I see the two together, Eric is almost like a younger clone of his father. Looking to the front row, I find Eric's mother dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief but smiling nonetheless. The two make their way down the aisle and Todd gives his son a tight hug before taking his seat.

Eric steps up onto the stage and looks down the aisle, looking like the happiest man in the world. Looking back up the aisle, Zane and Richard are beginning their walk. Zane's wearing a pure black tuxedo that fits his body perfectly and isn't taking his smiling eyes off of his husband to be.

The two reach the end of the aisle and Richard gives his son the hug of his life before taking a seat next to Monica as Eric and Zane's son, Orson, sits on her lap. Zane steps up onto the stage and stands in front of Eric. Not a word is said, but their faces are screaming I love you. Everyone sits back down and focuses all their attention on the front.

The officiant clears his throat. "We are here today to join Eric Swanson and Zane Mercer in a life of mutual commitment and love. It is fitting that you, the friends and family of Eric and Zane, be here to witness and participate in their union. For the ideals, understanding, and mutual respect which they bring to their life together had their roots in the love and friendship you have given them.

"The union of two people makes us aware of the changes brought to us by time. But the relationship will continue to draw much of its beauty and meaning from the intimate associations of their past. And now, Eric and Zane, the task of choosing your values and making your dreams a reality falls upon you.

"Through your commitment to one another, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you both great joy and happiness, and also a passion for living that gives you the strength and patience to face whatever life throws at you.

"True marriage is more than just joining the bonds of marriage of two persons. It is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in one another, to laugh with each other, and to share moments of peace when each day is done.

"May you both be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth of understanding and love created by each of you. Both men have written vows for one another."

Eric shuffles a bit where he stands and looks directly at Zane, his eyes shining. "Zane, when I first saw you, you took my breath away. Even before I knew I loved you, I knew there was no other person out there like you. I knew I wanted to be close to you, as close as anyone else could be. And I'm so glad I wanted to.

"There isn't a day that goes by where I don't want to see your smiling face. And seeing your face is what makes me want to do my best at whatever I do. You've helped me so much as long as I known and loved you. And I want to keep holding onto that love for as long as I live and even after I die."

The water that's welled up in Eric's eyes drips out, but he's smiling from ear to ear. "There's nothing I want more than to be your husband, Zane. And I'm so grateful and happy that I'm finally able to be your husband. I'll always love you, Zane Mercer. Thank you for loving me as well."

Zane's tears spill out immediately and I see there isn't a dry eye around. Reaching up, I even feel my own cheeks are wet. But I'm not making an effort to dry them anytime soon. Zane attempts to dry his eyes for a second, but they just keep overflowing as he looks up at Eric. "Eric, when I first met you I thought you were the biggest douchebag I had ever met."

The wedding party roars with laughter at Zane's bluntness and Eric holds onto Zane for support as he laughs hysterically. The laughter dies down after a minute, but a few chuckles and giggles remain. "But despite that," Zane continues, "I couldn't deny my attraction for you. And that attraction quickly turned into love.

"I should be the one thanking you for helping me with so much. After we started dating, you supported me in everything I did. You were always there for me no matter what I asked you to help me with. And you were even there when I didn't know I needed you there with me, just so I could be near you.

"I'm so happy knowing you'll keep being there for me, telling me you love me until my ears fall off. And I'll always be there for you, saying the same. I love you, Eric Swanson. I always will."

There are even more tears from everyone as Zane finishes his vow. "May I have the rings, please?" the officiant asks.

Josh reaches into his pocket and pulls out a black, velvet box and hands it to the officiant. He opens the box and hands one ring to Eric and the other to Zane. Zane takes Eric's left hand and slowly slides the ring onto his finger. "I give you this ring, Eric, as I give to you all that I am and accept from you all that you are."

Once the ring is on Eric's finger, he takes Zane's left hand and slides the ring on as well. "Zane, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful husband to you."

They take each other's hand and stare lovingly into each other's eyes. "Eric," the officiant says. "Do you take Zane Mercer to be your husband? To support and respect his successes as well as his failures, to care for him in sickness and in health, to nurture him, and to grow with him through the seasons of your life together?"

"I do."

"Zane. Do you take Eric Swanson to be your husband? Promising to share all in that life offers and suffers, to be there for him in times of need, to sooth him in times of pain, and to support him in all endeavors, big and small?"

"I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, by the state of California, I know pronounce you husband and husband."

Eric and Zane pull each other into a kiss more passionate than any I've ever witnessed in my life. The wedding party bursts into cheers and applause as Eric and Zane pull apart and hug each other tightly. "Ladies and gentlemen," the officiant continues. "I present to you for the first time Eric and Zane...uh...Mercer-Swanson and Swanson-Mercer!"

The party laughs and applauds, seeing as Eric and Zane haven't chosen a last name yet. But they don't even care at the moment. The two are too busy laughing and crying at finally being married.

----------------

The wedding party is just as beautiful as the ceremony. While the party was supposed to take place inside of Vikingsholm, it was moved outside because it was such a nice night (although it's turned to overcast skies by now) and the heaters have helped more than I can even describe. Eric and Zane haven't been more than a foot apart the whole night. And I think they're going to stay that way for a while.

I'm sitting at a table enjoying a cocktail and a small plate of food while everyone mingles with one another. The night could not be going any better. "Having fun?"

I look over and find Leo taking a seat next to me. "Yeah, I'm having a good time. What about you?"

"Still a little stressed from giving the best man speech, but I'm having a great time."

"You did great with that. Hell some of my drink almost came out of my nose in the middle of it because I laughed so hard."

Leo laughs. "So what're you doing here sitting all alone when everyone else is over there?"

Looking over to the other side of the party, I find the majority of the wedding guests talking and laughing amongst themselves. Even Greg is over there enjoying himself. "Um...it's warmer over here?" I say.

"Nice try. Now what's the real reason?"

I look down at my drink, unable to look over at Leo. "I don't feel like I belong over there."

"And why do you feel that way?"

I take a sip of my drink and find myself staring at it again. "Because I'm lying to everyone here."

Leo moves a little closer to me. "Because of...what you're keeping a secret?"

"Yeah. I don't want to lie, but I need to. If I were to tell everyone, I'd run the risk of being outed in the NHL. You know there aren't any openly gay players, and both and Greg and I are worried if I were to come out I'd be a target on the ice. Greg's already out in the NHL and he's been accepted by a lot of people. But a coach and a player are two different things.

"I want to be open about who I am. But at the same time, I want to be safe."

Leo stands up and gives me a clap on the shoulder. "Sometimes, Tanner, the reward is worth the risk. Everyone here has been a friend of Eric or Zane's for years and doesn't give two shits about who they are. Why would finding out about you be any different?"

I try to find an excuse, but I can only stare at my glass. "There's no use in not trying, Tanner," Leo continues. "I was scared out of my mind when I was in a similar situation, but thankfully it all worked out. And I couldn't be happier with the way things are right now."

Leo looks over and sees Josh waving at him. "It's a terrifying thought, Tanner. But sometimes you need to get over your fear to find your happiness."

He gives me one more pat before walking over to his husband. A very slow song starts to play through the stereo speakers and couples start moving onto the dance floor. Eric and Zane, Josh and Leo, Mark and Julie, Shawn and Ashley, Brian and Justin, Danny and Selena, Richard and Monica, Todd and Hannah, Brody and Courtney (they wanted to dance I guess), and a dozen other couples.

By the time couples start moving onto the dance floor, about half the wedding party's there. Looking through the crowd, I find Greg sitting with Meg keeping an eye on the kids, who have already kind of passed out. He looks amazing tonight and he deserves to have a good time. And I want to give it to him.

I down the rest of my drink and stand up. I walk around the dance floor, maneuvering through the rest of the guests and stepping up to Greg, my heart racing. "You on kid duty?" I ask.

Greg looks up at me and smiles. "Yeah, but they all fell asleep after they had some cake and sweets. Courtney is keeping me company."

"And I think I'm doing a darn good job too," Courtney proudly says. "But I need to run to the bathroom really quick, so it looks like the coach and player can have some private talk."

She gets up and walks inside, leaving me and Greg alone. "You having a good time?"

"Definitely. I'm not much of a dancer, but it would be nice to go out there and enjoy it with everyone else."

Taking a breath, I hold my hand out in front of Greg. "You can, you know. You have me."

I see Greg's face loses a shade or two of color. "Tanner, what're you doing?" he quietly says.

I get down on one knee in front of him so I can look him in the eye. "I'm taking a risk that I've been wanting to take for the last two months. I feel safe here, Greg. I feel comfortable with letting these people know about you and me. I mean we're at a wedding for Eric and Zane, two men. What's wrong with letting them know about another same-sex couple?"

Greg still looks at me in disbelief. "Tanner, what if someone here would let it slip that you're...gay? I can't have you potentially ruining your career."

"Fuck my career, Greg. What's my career if I need to lie about my personal life while I'm working with it? I just want to be happy. And if I can get just a feeling of what it's like to be who I am with a group of people I'm starting to trust, then that would mean the world to me."

Greg looks around, seeming like he's trying to make sure no one can hear us, which only starts to make me angry. "Tanner...I-I can't let you..."

Feeling defeat fall on my shoulders, I rise back to my feet. "Wow. I don't know what I should be feeling right now, Greg. Angry that my own boyfriend is too ashamed to have me come out, or sad that I need to keep lying to everyone around me just because you want me to."

I turn on my heel and walk away from Greg. "Tanner, where're you going?" he calls after me.

"I'm taking a walk!"

I don't even care if people are watching me as I walk out of the wedding party and into the cold, winter night. My shoes crunch over the layer of snow on the ground as I step over it, finally reaching the edge of the bay. The moon is barely shining through the clouds overhead, so it makes it hard to see. But I'm able to hear the soft lapping of water in front of me.

Finding a large rock, I take a seat on it and stare out at the dark, blue water. The music from the wedding party is playing quietly in the background. And despite it being below freezing, I don't feel it. All I can feel is how my chest hurts and how my eyes are wet. Damn you, Greg. I want to hold him, hug him, kiss him in front of people and not give a shit about what they think.

But it looks like he has different feelings from mine. And knowing that makes me want to scream. I wipe my face dry, but it's no use. "Tanner?"

I don't even need to look back to know Greg's standing only a few feet behind me. "Go away..." I choke out.

Footsteps walk over snow and I feel two arms and a strong chest surround me. "I'm sorry, Tanner," Greg whispers. I try to pull away from him, but his grip keeps me in place. "There's nothing I would want more than to be out in the open with you. You have no idea how much I want it.

"But I want to protect you even more. I don't want to see you get hurt from someone attacking you because of you being gay. But...at the same time I don't want to force you to hide."

I stand up and manage to wedge myself out of Greg's arms, but I grab him by the shoulders a second later. "Then don't make me hide here. I may not have known most of the people here for very long, but I trust them enough to let them keep a secret like ours. Just for a little while I want to have a good time with my boyfriend.

"I want to hold you and dance with you and not care about someone watching us. I want to hug you and have no one think a thing of it. I want to kiss you right in front of everyone and only see you smiling at me. Can I please just have that? Even if it's just for a minute, that minute would be an eternity for me."

Greg looks up at me for a moment before rising onto his toes and pressing his lips to mine. As he pulls away, I see a hint of a smile on his face. "Can I still have that dance?"

Feeling a smile pulling my lips apart, I give Greg another kiss. I pull away and take his hand in mine. As we start to walk back, I feel something cold fall on my face. Stopping, I look up and see snow falling from the sky. While it's not unusual since we're on a mountain, I smile at how perfect it's timing is.

Looking over at Greg, I see him smiling at the falling snow as well. Gripping his hand a bit tighter, he and I continue walking to the wedding party. Finally getting back, we see that there are only a few people left on the dance floor so we let our hands loosen and slip out of each other's grasp. But a new slow song begins to play and the couples make their way back onto the floor.

Feeling my heart about to burst out of my chest, I look at Greg. "You ready?" he asks me.

"Not in the least. So let's do it before I decide to chicken out."

Greg nods once and we carefully start our approach. One step at a time, Tanner. One foot in front of the other. Greg and I slowly make our way onto the dance floor and I can actually feel eyes watching us. He and I stop near the middle of the floor and I turn to face him and him to me.

I carefully hold my hand out to Greg and he slowly takes it. I can hear the words and whispers around us as I step a bit closer to Greg and pull him into a tight embrace. I feel Greg shaking from nervousness as I hold him and I hear the whispers getting louder with every second, which only makes him shake even harder.

Finally deciding to grow a pair, I snap my head to the crowd. "YES, I'M DATING THIS MAN RIGHT HERE!! IF ANY ONE OF YOU HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR OPINION AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!!"

Save for the music, the party has gone completely silent. I look down and find Greg pressing his face into my shoulder. "Hey, Greg, look at me..." I quietly say.

He slowly lifts his head and looks up at me, fear in those amber irises and his body violently trembling. "Don't look at anyone other than me. Right now, it's just you and me and no one else. Remember that and just enjoy this moment as much as you can."

I take his chin and give him as soft of a kiss as possible. It takes a few seconds, but the trembling begins to calm down. He gives me a smile and slowly places his head on my shoulder and I can feel easy breaths coming from his body. Just knowing Greg is feeling better helps me to relax as well and I rest my head on top of his.

The world slowly starts to slip away from me until there's nothing but me, Greg, and the music. And to me that's all I really need right now.

----------------

This has got to be one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Tanner's taking a huge step and I'm so proud of him for it. But I can't stop shaking enough to experience it. "Hey, Greg, look at me..."

Taking in a breath, I lift my face out of Tanner's shoulder. I look up and see Tanner's bright green eyes staring at me. I see he looks just as scared as I feel, but his eyes are unwavering and I can feel he isn't going anywhere. "Don't look at anyone other than me," he says. "Right now, it's just you and me and no one else. Remember that and just enjoy this moment as much as you can."

His fingers lightly hold my chin and he gives me the softest kiss of my life. Almost instantly, I can feel myself starting to shake less and less. I snake my arms around Tanner and hold him as close as possible. He pulls away and I see nothing but compassion and kindness in his eyes. And at this very moment, I've fallen in love with Tanner White.

Giving him a smile, I rest my head on his shoulder and feel him placing his chin on top of my head. I don't care what everyone else is thinking. Right now, I couldn't be any happier as I dance with my boyfriend. Knowing Tanner has gone so far for the both of us makes this moment even better than it already is.

The music slowly starts to fade, despite me wanting to go on forever. But even as it disappears, I don't separate from Tanner. Another slow song starts to play and I thank God for letting this moment continue. "You know, for an amazing couple, you two don't dance too much."

Opening my eyes just enough, I see Eric and Zane dancing right next to us, smiling over at both of us. "Well, this is the first time we've ever danced together," Tanner says.

"Well we hope it isn't the last. And everyone else here probably agrees with us," Eric says.

Opening my eyes just a bit more I find a lot of the guests either watching us and smiling, or just minding their own business and dancing themselves. "I kind of feel like we stole your spotlight," Tanner says.

"Don't worry about it," Zane says. "We've been the centers of attention all night. It's good to have someone else be in it so I can spend some time with my husband." Zane laughs a bit. "I can't get over how much I love saying that."

"Then keep saying it," Eric says. "Because I love hearing it."

The two smile at one another and kiss before returning to their dance. I feel Tanner hugging me a little tighter and I look up at him. "Thank you for this," he says. "This one chance to be open with everyone around me is probably one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

"I should be the one thanking you for this, Tanner. For convincing me to take a chance. And I'm so happy that you're comfortable with who you are now."

"You and me both, Greg."

I feel Tanner kiss me on my forehead before resting his chin on top of my head. I close my eyes and rest my head on Tanner's shoulder and sway with him to the music. Even if people are watching us right now, I can't even see or notice them. My eyes are set on only one man and he's showing no signs of wanting to end this moment.

I completely zone out as I slowly dance with Tanner. But a sudden voice jolts me from my trance. "Thank you everyone for coming out tonight." I reopen my eyes and find Eric and Zane standing at the edge of the wedding party, Eric with a microphone in his hand. "But unfortunately, it's almost midnight and we have to bring this party to an end."

There's a collective 'aw' of disappointment around the party. Wow. Tanner and I have been dancing for more than an hour. "We know," Eric continues. "We don't want it to end either. But it looks like we have a few kids that look like they need to get some sleep."

Looking over, I see the small group of sleeping kids with their parents, except Orson who's with Todd. "This has been a perfect night for us," Zane says, microphone now in his hand. "We can't thank you all enough for coming to see our wedding and we're so glad we got to spend it with all of you.

"But now, me and my husband, I love saying that, have to get a bit of sleep."

"More like fuck until dawn!" Jack calls out.

The wedding party laughs as Eric and Zane harshly blush. "That too," Zane quietly says. More laughter. "But we have a request to ask all of you. I'm sure all of you have seen the lovely couple standing in the middle of the dance floor."

And cue several dozen eyes on me and Tanner. "We ask that their little dance stay here with everyone at this party."

My head snaps back to Zane. Eric takes the microphone back. "Zane and I have suspected the two have been dating for a while now, but we've kept it a secret. Now we ask the same of all of you, at least until the two decide to tell the public about their relationship or Tanner's sexuality. It could be a month, or even five years. Either way, keep quiet about it."

Zane snatches the microphone back. "If any of you tell a single soul about this, I have a team of private bodyguards on speed dial thanks to my dad that will not stop until they find out who squealed."

While some people laugh, the look on Zane's face tells me he isn't kidding. "So are we clear?" he asks. "To all of us, this dance happened. To anyone else, it didn't. Got it?"

There's a large round of applause as I try to hide behind Tanner. "Thank you," Eric says. "And thank you again for coming to our wedding. Limos back to the hotel are waiting out front for everybody. And there should be a few gifts for each and every one of you back in your hotel rooms."

That makes me both excited and nervous. "We hope you've all had a great night," Zane says. "We hope to see you all again after Eric's and my honeymoon."

Much of the wedding party starts to filter out while Tanner and I don't move from where we stand. "I really don't want to stop this," Tanner says to me.

"Me too. But I'd rather not be left behind when everyone else leaves."

Tanner smiles and snakes a hand around my lower back. "Then let's catch up with everyone."

He kisses the side of my head, making me blush and smile. I rest my head on his shoulder as we walk to the limos.

----------------

After a question filled limo ride back to the hotel, Greg and I are exhausted. "I don't think I answer that many questions at press conferences," I say to Greg.

"Same here. But I'm just happy everyone understands our situation and will stay quiet about it."

"You ready to head to the room?"

"Definitely."

Greg and I climb onto an elevator and ride up to our floor. We get to our room and step in, only to immediately stop. Sitting on the bed are two wrapped presents. We walk up to the bed and find both of our names on the presents. "Should I be afraid?" I ask.

"I know I am. But we might as well see what's in them."

Sighing, I take the present with my name on it and pull off the top. The first thing I see is a small card. I grab the card and flip it open.

'Tanner. We know we haven't known you for very long, but we thank you for coming to our wedding. While things got off on a bit of a rough foot, we feel we can call you a good friend now. We hope we can become even better friends in the future. Thank you again. -Eric and Zane. P.S. You and Gregory make a really nice couple.'

I feel myself smiling at the note. Those two are probably some of the nicest people I've ever met. Looking back in the box, I find two sets of brand new skates. I pull them out of the box and just stare at them. I have about a dozen sets of skates back home, but a lot of them are really close to breaking. New skates are a blessing (despite me needing to break them in).

Looking over at Greg, I find he's holding a large book in his hands. "What've you got there?" I ask.

"It's a scrapbook Zane and Eric had made. It's from when we were in college together." Greg opens the book and does a quick look through it. "I love those guys."

I smile and set my skates down on the floor before starting to take off my tuxedo. I set my jacket down on a chair before walking behind Greg and wrapping my arms around him. "Tonight was...something, huh?"

Greg sets the scrapbook down on the nightstand before turning around and facing me. "It was. And...I'm really glad it was."

"Me too."

I bend down and give Greg a very light kiss. But just as I'm about to pull away, Greg grabs me in a very tight hug and pulls me even closer to him. Going on instinct, my mouth opens and I feel Greg's tongue quickly slide in. Taking the hint, my tongue comes to life and meets Greg's.

It's been a while since we last kissed like this, and I've missed it so much. Kissing Greg just feels so right that I can't even describe it. I hear Greg shuffling in front of me and I open my eyes a bit to find him pulling off his suit jacket and tossing it to the floor. As soon as it's off, he grips the front of my shirt and tries to start unbuttoning it.

I pull back from the kiss and find Greg out of breath and flushed. "I uh...I'm sorry. I thought you were ready for it and...I guess I was wrong..."

"Greg, I pulled back so I could unbutton my shirt myself. It's a little faster that way."

Greg's mouth opens slightly and he's at a loss for words. "B-But I thought..."

"I wasn't ready for when we first started dating. Now...I think I am. But you've done this before so you're going to have to take the lead here."

Greg stays silent for a minute before his megawatt smile shines through. Within the next two seconds, he and I are pulling off our clothes as quickly as we can. I barely manage to get my pants off before Greg grabs me and pulls me into another mind-blowing kiss. He and I are left standing in our underwear. That is until we fall onto the bed.

Without the worry of falling over, I kiss Greg as hard as I can, pushing my tongue as deep into his mouth as possible. I have no idea what I'm doing, but all I know is that this feels so fucking amazing. My underwear starts to slip off my hips and before long they're around my thighs, my rock hard dick pressing into Greg's hip.

Greg reaches down and starts to slip his own underwear off and we're both left naked on the bed. "So you want me to take charge, huh?" he asks me.

"Hell fucking yes. You just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

Greg grins at that and grips my upper arms before flipping me over, leaving him on top. While I expect him to kiss me again, Greg's lips find my neck, sending a sharp spark through my body. "You okay?" he asks.

"Shut up and keep doing that..."

He laughs a bit before going back to kissing my neck. His warm, wet tongue slides over the skin of my neck, making me moan just a bit. Greg's hand slides up my chest, sliding across my skin and hair before stopping right on my right pec. He slowly massages it while sucking on my neck and I feel all my energy disappear.

I'm completely at Greg's mercy right now, and it feels so fucking amazing. My cock could not feel any harder right now and I don't think I've ever leaked this much precum before in my life. "How're you feeling?" Greg asks.

"Better than I've ever felt before."

Greg sits up a bit and seems surprised. "Really? None of the other people you've had sex with...were better?"

What is he talking about? "Other people? What other people?"

"I mean...I remember hearing a lot of rumors back in high school that you had hooked up with a few girls, even a few college girls. And...you've probably had sex dozens of times in college..."

I reach around Greg and pull him just a few inches from my face. "Greg, I've only had sex one other time in my life, and I can't even remember most of it." Greg's eyebrows rise to his hairline. "It was a drunken hookup with a girl whose name I didn't even know and both she and I wanted to kind of forget that it happened.

"So...yeah. While I've had sex before in my life, it was only one time that I wouldn't even call my first time. This? I think I'm going to call it my first time with a guy I care more about than anyone else."

Greg stays silent for a few seconds before smiling down at me. "To think I've had sex more times in my life than you, Tanner White."

I guffaw at that before grabbing Greg around the neck and pulling him into another kiss. "Seeing as you've had more sex than me," I say between kisses, "you'll have to have your way with me here and show me the ropes of this."

"My pleasure."

"Mine too."

Greg grins before lowering himself down my body. On his way down, he kisses and licks my skin, causing it to burn with heat every time he touches me. I squirm underneath him from the newfound feelings he's giving me. He kisses and licks down my stomach before I feel his hot breath on my cock.

I look down just enough to find Greg wrapping his hand around my dick. His eyes meet mine. "You ready?" he quietly asks.

"Just fucking suck my cock..." I beg.

Greg grins and I feel his wet tongue slowly slide up my shaft, making me grab the bedspread. And when I feel Greg take my cock into his mouth, I have to will myself not to scream. It feels so fucking good, a hundred times better than my own hand. Greg's nose buries itself in my pubes and I stare in amazement at seeing a man, my man, taking all of my almost eight inches without any trouble.

Greg's mouth and throat feel so warm and tight. "How the hell are you so good at this...?" I moan out.

Greg slides off me and smiles. "A lot of practice. Now I thought you wanted me to suck your cock."

Without another word, he swallows my cock again and I quietly moan. I can't even form a word with Greg giving me such an amazing blowjob. I don't even care if every other room in this hotel can hear me through all the walls. I just moan like there's no tomorrow. And when Greg starts to moan himself, it makes the sensation all the more pleasurable.

Every muscle in my body feels like it's on fire, every inch of my skin is burning. I don't want this moment to end. Greg's fingers slowly start to massage my balls, lightly squeezing them between his fingers. I let out a scream from the shock that goes up my back. "You okay?" Greg asks.

"M-More than okay..."

He grins at me. "You want to try it yourself?"

Raising an eyebrow, I watch as Greg spins himself around and I'm met by his own cock and spread ass. Six months ago, something like this would've made me want to puke. Now, it's probably the hottest thing I've ever seen. The low-hanging pair of full balls, the pink ring of flesh between two muscled ass cheeks, the rock hard seven inch dick. I feel my mouth water at the sight of it.

Letting instinct take over, I grab Greg's hips and pull his ass toward me. My face buries itself between Greg's ass cheeks and I let it sit there and breathe. "Jesus, Tanner," Greg breaths out. "Didn't expect you to do that."

"I heard some guys in the locker room talk about how they like their wives and girlfriends rimming them," I say from Greg's ass. "Thought I'd try it to see what it was like to rim someone."

"And what's the verdict?"

I breathe out a long breath and feel Greg shudder on top of me. "Seems pretty damn nice to me."

Without warning, Greg swallows my cock again and the pleasure from before comes back with a rush. Not wanting Greg to be left out, I take a breath and carefully let my tongue slide out of my mouth and it makes contact with the soft flesh of Greg's hole. While I expect the taste to make me vomit, I feel my cock only get harder from it.

And the taste isn't bad at all. Earthy and musky is how I would describe the taste. But incredible is how I would describe the experience. Starting out slow, I lap my tongue against Greg's warm hole, exploring every bit of it and getting every taste I can. Greg's hole tightens every time I slide my tongue across it, making the challenge that much more fun.

I get a better grip on Greg's hips and bury my face as much as possible in his ass, driving my tongue into him. He moans around my cock, which makes my body tighten from the feeling. Drool slides down my chin and onto my neck, but I don't even care at this point. I let go of one of Greg's hips and wipe my hand through the drool.

With my hand slick, I reach underneath Greg and grab his hard cock, slowly jerking it. Greg moans even more, and that makes me moan. We're locked in a continuous cycle of moaning and pleasuring one another. Just as I'm about to really start going at it, Greg slides off my cock and I pull away from his ass.

I'm out of breath and I feel sweat on my face. Greg spins around and I find his face is like mine, only I see a look of deep lust in his eyes. He jumps on me and his tongue fills my mouth within a second. My fingers press into his taught back as I attack his mouth with my own. God, what have I been missing all these years?

This pressure, this heat, this wonderful feeling. I never want it to end. "Want you..." I manage to say. "Want you so bad..."

Greg pulls away and bends down over the edge of the bed. I hear him fumble for a second before returning with two things: a wrapped condom and a small bottle of lube. "Eric and Zane can be both assholes and really helpful," he says with a smile.

My heart begins to race at the thought of being inside Greg. Will I like it? Will I be good enough for him? Will he like it? What if it's messy? What if we're too loud? "Tanner?"

Two soft lips press against mine and the thoughts and worry all slip away within a second. The kiss is so loving and gentle that I almost can't even feel it. Greg pulls away and stays just a few inches from my face. "I know the whole thing can be a little overwhelming," he says. "It was for me when it was my first time with another guy.

"But I'm here for you, Tanner. If you ever want to stop during this, we'll stop. I want this to be something you're going to enjoy. Not something you'll look back on and go 'why the hell did I do that?' If you'll give me a chance, I'll help you through this."

Those two amber eyes tell me that every word he just said he means. Swallowing a bit, I give Greg a kiss before falling back into the pillow. "I trust you, Greg."

He gives me a heartwarming smile before ripping the condom package open. He pulls the condom out and positions it over the head of my cock before rolling it on. He pops open the bottle of lube and pours a generous amount onto my cock and the condom. With my cock now slick, he takes more of the lube and puts it in his hand.

I watch in silence as Greg reaches behind him and applies the lube to his ass, moaning slightly as he does it. With his hole lubed, Greg climbs on top of me again and straddles my hips, my hard cock underneath him. "We're going to go really slow," he says. "This is for both your benefit and mine, mine because I haven't had another cock in my ass in a while."

I nod once and Greg grabs my cock and lifts his hips slightly. The tip of my cock touches Greg's hole and we both freeze. Greg looks down at me and I slowly grab his hips. Greg takes a breath and I slowly begin to feel my cock entering Greg's ass. The first thing I notice is how hot and tight it is.

Is this what it feels like to be in another man's ass? God, it feels incredible. Greg continues to take more of my cock in him, but stops once a few inches are in. "You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, you're just...bigger than any of my other times. So it's going to take me a little while before I get all of you."

"Take your time. I'm fucking loving this..."

Greg laughs before staying still for a few more seconds. He slides down even more of my cock and is finally about two thirds of the way down before he stops again. He takes in a deep breath before pushing himself down the rest of my cock, making both of us scream. "Are you okay?" I worriedly ask.

He takes a second to breathe. "I haven't felt this full in forever," he says with a smile. "And you're the one inside of me, Tanner. And now that you're inside..." Greg wraps his calves around my waist and, in a large feat of strength, manages to flip me over so now he's underneath me.

I'm at a loss for words as to how he managed to flip us over like that. "How did you...?" I start to ask.

"Judo comes in really handy when you're in bed with someone. Lots of leg strength and you learn how to flip someone." Greg grabs his legs and pulls them toward him before letting his heels rest on my shoulders. "Now, how're you feeling?"

I look down at the man in front of me. The muscled, sweaty, lust-filled man that has my cock in his ass. My elbows fall beside Greg's head and a few sweat drops fall onto his forehead. "Hornier than I've ever been in my life..."

"Then let yourself go, Tanner. Give me all you've got and don't hold back."

Taking the bait, I lean back and grab Greg by the legs and push them forward so his feet are by his ears (I'm surprised by how flexible he is). I start to pull myself out of Greg little by little. And just as I'm about to feel myself pop out, I ram my cock back into him as hard as I can. Greg lets out a loud scream.

I instantly freeze, scared I might've hurt him. "Don't you fucking dare stop!" Greg yells at me. "God, that was awesome..."

With the worry gone, I slowly pull back out again and slide back in, a little slower this time. With this thrust, a sharp spark flies up my back and every muscle in my body tenses. I want more. I want so much more. Gripping Greg's legs even tighter, I pull back out and ram back into Greg, both of us screaming this time.

I look down at Greg and see him in a state of complete bliss, something I don't think I've ever seen from him before. Wanting to join him, I begin a steady rhythm of sliding my cock in and out of Greg. "Harder..." he begs. "Fuck me harder..."

I give into his request and pick up my fucking pace, the slap of skin and echoed moans filling the room. Greg grabs his own cock and jerks himself as I fuck him. And that look of total nirvana in his face? It only makes me harder. "Fucking shit..." I moan out. "So fucking good..."

"Harder, Tanner! Fuck me harder!"

And while I start to give into the demand, I feel Greg pushing himself back against me with every thrust I give him. Am I fucking him or is he fucking me? Either way, I'm feeling pressure starting to build in my balls. "I'm close..." I say. "I'm really close..."

"Me too. Cum with me, Tanner. I want to feel you cum with me..."

My last grain of rational thought is thrown out the window as I reach forward and force my tongue into Greg's mouth. I keep thrusting into Greg as I feel my orgasm building. "I'm...I'm going to cum..." I say.

"I feel it. I am too..."

I drive myself as hard as I can into Greg's ass and the pressure in my cock reaches it's peak. "C-Cumming!" I yell.

With just one more push, I bury my cock inside of Greg and firmly press my mouth against his. And a second later, the most mild-blowing ejaculation of my life soaks through me. I feel Greg's cock surging between our stomachs and shot after shot of his cum coats our chests. The life drains out of me and the energy in my body slips away and I fall on top of Greg, gasping for breath.

That was...indescribable. I've never had such an overload of feelings and senses in my life. I pick my head up just enough to look down at Greg. His normally perfect hair is disheveled, his face is soaked with sweat, and his eyes are glossed over. But I still think he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen.

After all of that, a kiss is all I can manage at this point. "I don't think I've ever cum that hard in my life," I say.

"You and me both, Tanner."

"Um...was I good?"

Greg laughs a bit and rubs my arm. "You're a natural." I'm relieved knowing Greg liked it as much as I did. "Know what I think would be good right now?" I shake my head. "A long shower with you."

I smile and give Greg another kiss before I push myself up onto my knees. My cock pops out of Greg's ass and I pull the condom off and tie the end. "Jesus," I say looking at the condom. "I don't think I've ever cum this much either."

"Tell that to our chests."

Looking down, I see at least ten streaks of cum on my chest and stomach alone. And it's the same with Greg. He and I smile before kissing again and sliding off the bed. Greg wobbles a bit and I wrap my arm around his waist to support him. "Don't go passing out on me," I say. "Someone's going to need to wash my back."

"And...other areas..."

I feel a hard pinch on my ass, making me yelp and jump a bit. Greg laughs while I rub my left cheek. "You're really lucky I'm too tired to fight back..."

"But you're not too tired for a second round, are you?"

"Oh, hell no."

He and I laugh before kissing one more time and heading to the shower.

* * *

God, I'm fucking exhausted. Four times. It took four times for Tanner to finally pass out. I don't think my ass has ever been this sore before. But it's the soreness that I like. It's maybe 2:00 in the morning and I'm staring at the ceiling, going over the events from tonight. The wedding, Tanner telling everyone we're dating, the dance, and the sex, it was all perfect.

I look over and find Tanner asleep, arm lazily tucked behind his head and easy breathing coming from his chest. Stretching my arms over my head, I pull the bed covers up a bit and slide in. I scoot right up next to Tanner and rest my head on his shoulder. In his sleep, Tanner turns over and I feel his arms pull me into a soft hug.

The small, unconscious gesture warms me to my core and I smile, giving Tanner a hug as well. I close my eyes and feel myself settle into bed. "I love you..."

My eyes snap back open. Did I just say that out loud? I look up and find Tanner still asleep and pure relief sets in. I almost did something really stupid. I mean yeah, I admitted to myself I love Tanner earlier, but it's still too early to say it. And I'm afraid I might scare Tanner away if I say it right now.

I settle back into bed and close my eyes again. I want to tell Tanner I love him so badly. I just hope I don't have to wait forever to do it...