Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What is going on out here?” Patrick asks, raising his voice to interrupt the yelling match between his husband and their best friend. 

David and Stevie shut up for a moment and turn to him. Then they both speak up to explain themselves. 

“Uh-uh. One at a time. Stevie?”

David makes a noise, no doubt offended. But Patrick has been in this situation way too many times. He’s learned that he has a default bias for David’s side, regardless of the dispute. So he has to get Stevie’s side of the story before his head is clouded. 

“I was just trying to pay for this lovely red wine that I’m planning to use to woo my long time friend with benefits next week,” she bats her eyes and sets her voice to a high pitched tone that Patrick is sure is meant to deceive him. 

Suspicious. He turns to his husband. 

“This is a case of twelve bottles. She’s not just inviting her friend, she’s up to something.” 

“Whatever! So what if Jake and I are inviting a small group of our closest single friends? It’s an attempt to forget all about the Valentine’s Day buffoonery the town is sure to come up with,” she rolls her eyes, exasperated.

David turns to Patrick, lifting his arm up to wave a limp hand in Stevie’s general direction. “See? I told you she was up to something.”

“David, I hardly think purchasing a case of wine for a gathering is an offense,” he lowers his voice, saying the next part a little gentler, “If this is about you feeling left out-”

He quickly groans and shuts down that idea, “No, no. What she fails to mention is that she’s trying to pay for the wine using some coupons she probably ripped out of a grocery store magazine.”

Huh. Well, trying to cut herself a discount hasn’t been a foreign idea to Stevie in the past. Sometimes they let it slide because they owe her. Other times, Patrick has to stand his ground. Half informing her and half mocking her, Patrick uses his businessman voice to remind her this is a place of real business, “Stevie, you do know that we still accept the Canadian dollar - and only the Canadian dollar - as currency at the Rose Apothecary, right?” 

He can feel David loosen up next to him, appreciating that Patrick is finally on his side. David likes hearing Patrick’s businessman voice. Secretly, Patrick likes using it too. He doesn’t get to get away with it that often, seeing as most customers are family and friends. So he gives himself this little joy. 

Stevie rolls her eyes, clearly not as impressed as the two lovebirds are. “Yes, but look. They’re not coupons, they’re tickets to a five day cruise. How can you say no?” She shoves the tickets into Patrick’s hands. 

There are indeed two identical pieces of paper, a picture of a huge ship is on the left while the dates FEB-11 to FEB-15 are bolded on the right. 

“A Valentine’s Day cruise? That’s kind of awkward timing, isn’t it? Considering we’re literally in the middle of winter.” 

“Read the details,” Stevie insists, “It’s a trip to The Bahamas.”

That stops Patrick in his tracks. 

“What? Give me that!” David says frantically. Patrick passes him one ticket to look over. 

A trip to the Caribbean sounds like something along the lines of a scam. Too many phone calls dial in with automated voicemails of a woman offering them ‘a trip of your dreams to The Bahamas if you answer a quick survey’. He flips the ticket over, looking for any indicator in the fine print that these tickets belong to a real travel agency.

“Can you say you have plans that are better than this?” Stevie tests them. 

“I take offence to that,” David places the tickets back together and holds them out for Stevie. “While I can’t prove that these are fraudulent, I wasn’t born yesterday. Pay up or leave the wine behind.” 

Stevie huffs and opens her mouth to object, “I’m trying to do something nice for you guys, why do you have to make it so difficult?”

That kind of stalls them in their thoughts. Instead of getting all defensive right off the bat, they could look into its credibility and take a few days to consider it. Patrick speaks up first, “I mean, we should probably look into it.” 

“What?” David turns to him. 

“We haven’t been on a trip outside of the province since when? Our honeymoon? Maybe this is a good idea.” 

David frowns, “What about the store? Have we built enough customer loyalty to close down for five days?”

Patrick shrugs, trying to do some mental math. He doesn’t think that customer loyalty is the issue, necessarily. More so that holidays are peak performance times for them. The average person picks up their gifts two to five days before the holiday. If they’re going to be closed, they won’t be able to take advantage of that surge. 

“Okay, well. We could consider it,” David whispers when Patrick hesitates for too long. 

At that moment Stevie speaks up. “Bye boys!” She picks up the case with both arms, leaning back to accommodate for the heavy weight in contrast to her small form. They watch her shuffle backwards and awkwardly open the door with a pinky and a foot. The bell echoes in her absence.

“Great, now she’s made a run for it with our merchandise,” David slides his arms around Patrick’s shoulders, comfortable now that they’re alone. “What happened to mister numbers guy? I thought every dollar mattered.”

“Well, I hate to say Stevie is right…”

“Then don’t.” 

Patrick laughs, tucking away their next vacation into the till desk drawer. He’ll register them later that day. “But she might be. Valentine’s Day is in two weeks and we have nothing planned.” 

David opens his mouth to argue but Patrick cuts him off. 

“Our yearly tradition of watching Bridget Jones’s Diary doesn’t count. We can do that either way.” 

“Okay fine. But this better be an all inclusive cruise. Or else I’m afraid I’ll have to become our numbers guy in addition to creative director.”

“What would I be left with? Being the bag boy?” 

That makes David throw his head back in laughter. Patrick leans forward and attaches his lips to his neck. He places kisses up and down in a random pattern until David leans back down and participates in the kissing festivities. 

The store is buzzing with energy. Everyday is a successful day and the two lovebirds are either working themselves to the ground or fucking each other into the ground. And so, they don’t actually get around to booking their cruise trip until that weekend. David is going through his bedtime skincare routine in the en-suite with the door open when Patrick mutters a thick and enunciated, “Fuck.”

“What is it?” David turns around slowly, massaging the under eye jelly mask into his skin as he walks cautiously to the bed. Patrick is sitting cross legged over the covers with his laptop in one hand and tickets in the other. 

“The cruise. It’s for singles only.”

“Wait, what?” 

“It’s not a Valentine’s Day cruise for couples, David. It’s a singles week. All the activities are ice breakers and random blind dates and- it’s just that. It’s not for us.” 

“Well, I mean, couldn’t we keep ourselves occupied? There’s still a pool and inclusive meals, right?” David’s furrowed brows give a hilarious contrast to his finger still delicately rubbing at his face. 

“I doubt they’d even let us on the ship in the first place. It’s in the fine print.” 

David pauses to think about that. Then seems to remember this is all Stevie’s doing because he stops rubbing his face and frowns, “That conniving little-”

“Careful, she’s still your best friend.”

“How many tricks like this is she going to pull on us before I revoke that title?” 

“The problem is, for every trick she pulls she makes a grand gesture to make up for it. Remember when you got me sick and we were both bed ridden for 48 hours? She single handedly kept us in business through the Christmas rush.” 

“Okay fine, she’s a decent friend. But she’ll be hearing from me first thing in the morning,” he walks back to the washroom to rinse his face.

Patrick sighs, tossing the tickets aside and shutting his laptop. “Well, I’m not booking anything now. Maybe we can ask Twyla if she’s interested. She’s still single, right?” Patrick gets up from bed and places his laptop neatly on the makeshift desk they have in the corner. He’s a little disappointed, if he’s being honest with himself. He was looking forward to a change of scenery and alone time with David. 

Well, un-domesticated, un-business-oriented alone time. 

David is wrapped up in a fluffy robe as he heads for bed while Patrick takes his turn in the washroom. “Why do I feel like we need the vacation more than Twyla? She’s always so chipper all the time, she’s fine.” 

Patrick is brushing his teeth so he can’t respond. But he turns around to face David while he works his toothbrush back and forth, wide eyes doing all the communication. 

“I’m just saying,” David shrugs. “Hypothetically speaking, if we signed up separately they wouldn’t deny us.” 

Patrick nods along.

“And if we showed up unattached at the hip. Pretending we weren’t already together. No one would be the wiser,” David’s hand gestures get wilder and wilder the more he schemes. 

Rinsing out his mouth, Patrick mulls over David’s hypothetical scenario. On the one hand, it would work. On the other hand, it would work - and they would be stuck having to pretend they’re strangers for five whole days. 

“But what would that mean for us? We’d have to pretend the entire time. Not to mention, we’d be staying in different rooms,” he shuts the bathroom door and turns off the main light to the master bedroom. 

“Okay the different rooms part did escape me,” David flicks on the bedside lamp, flipping the blanket over for Patrick to slide in. “But I'm just now imagining us meeting for the first time at a singles event. A little tipsy, a little high on the fact that no one would know who we are.”

Patrick laughs, appreciating the quirky direction David’s brain always takes him. He settles his head onto his pillow but makes sure to snuggle up his legs with David’s. “So what you’re saying is you want to role play.”

“I mean, I’m saying we could. Hypothetically.” 

“Mmm. I’m not sure how that would work but I’m eager to find out.”

“Ooh, I like you when you’re eager,” David kisses his lips lightly. 

Patrick kisses him back lovingly. “Let’s sleep on it? We still have to figure out the logistics.” 

“Okay fine. You figure out the logistics and I’ll start thinking up some sexy pick up lines,” David smiles his sweet private smile that only Patrick gets to see before sliding down and resting his head next to Patrick’s shoulder.

Once they register themselves for the cruise, they have seven days to pack their bags, prepare for a store shutdown and negotiate ground rules for how they will behave and interact with other people on the ship. 

“Because, it would be weird, right? Not to at least flirt with some singles? So we can blend in, of course,” David says one day as he unpacks boxes of body butter. 

“Right. We can’t just be single by label,” Patrick agrees, standing next to David and applying price labels to each bottle one by one. It’s a slow afternoon and customers are few and far between. 

“So, you know. We should set up some guidelines.” 

“Guidelines?”

“I don’t know if you remember that one time you wanted to date this guy named Ken?”

Patrick smirks. “You mean the customer you insisted on hooking me up with?”

“Well, that’s not how I remember it. But yes,” David shakes his head and his expression turns into this look of determination that Patrick recognizes. He stops labeling the products and turns to listen intently. 

“It’s just that, we kind of sent you off without talking about it. Rookie mistake, I guess. According to Alexis, we should’ve set some guidelines in place,” David’s face turns sour, an expression he usually reserves for when he’s upset that someone else was right and he has to begrudgingly admit it.

“David, I wasn’t just going to take him home and sleep with him.” 

David fidgets with the box despite having emptied it minutes ago, searching for words to say. 

Patrick takes a deep breath and takes his husband’s hands in his own. “But, we should explicitly set some rules and boundaries for this trip. So we can both be comfortable enough to enjoy it,” David nods along. “We do still want to enjoy it, right? We’re not in over our heads?” 

“Oh, absolutely. I might’ve been looking forward to this more than I let on. And I want this for you too!”

“For me?”

“Yea, I mean. What with all those almost somethings we’ve had with Jake. I know you’re at least a little curious about… other men. And what we could do with them.”

Patrick laughs. “What we can do with- David, other people aren’t toys. They have free will.”

“Well we’d certainly be playing with them. If you know what I mean.”

Playing with someone. Another man. Adding another set of preferences, skills and imagery to their sex life is certainly something Patrick has thought about in the back of his mind on a regular basis.

“Unless you don’t know what I mean? I just- I thought we were on the same page. After all the…” David’s arm gestures randomly as he filters through his words. “Eye flirting between you and Jake.” 

Patrick’s eyebrows fly up, “Me and Jake? You’re the one he keeps kissing.”

“Hey, I asked you if you wanted me to have a conversation with him to stop that,” David points out. 

“You did,” Patrick sighs. They may have had half conversations about it here and there. But Patrick very deliberately never answered with a yes. Which created this whole question mark in their relationship. They always seem to be teetering on the edge of a possible threesome. Even just the thought of it makes Patrick’s ears burn. He looks away and shuffles back to the label maker, fussing with it unnecessarily. 

“Okay so, there is something there,” David guesses correctly. 

It’s not like Patrick’s been keeping it a huge secret. They were both there, the night of the false whiskey. They were both there, later that night, when David eased Patrick into fantasizing about the idea via dirty talk. It’s just that… there’s still something holding him back. He can’t put a finger on it. It tells Patrick not to let David create a boundary between them and Jake. And yet, whenever Jake does make a move, Patrick’s courage shrivels up into a shy little ball. His heart runs off on its own as his eyes stare at whatever scene is playing out in front of him; his husband flirting with one of his exes in broad daylight. 

While not exactly unwelcome, it’s kind of… unapproachable. 

“Patrick!” David snaps him out of his thoughts by grabbing his shoulders and spinning him so they’re facing each other. “Stop spiralling would you? This isn’t even about Jake. If you’d just listened for a second you’d see I was just wondering what possibilities are out there for us to discover. With someone who doesn’t live in the same town as us. 

“Right,” he nods along. “So, if I’m understanding correctly, you’re suggesting we flirt with other people on the trip. Not pretend flirting as fake singles.”

“Exactly, real flirting,” David says. Clear and concise. “I’m open to that if you are.” 

“Only if it happens organically. I don’t want to, like, search for someone. You know?” 

David nods along in understanding. “If nothing happens on this trip, then nothing happens on this trip. I just thought it would be a good opportunity to widen our pool of options. The only people in Schitt’s Creek that aren’t our family or friends are people who slept with our family or friends.”

“Not exactly no-strings-attached material,” Patrick laughs, somehow both nervous and excited. 

“Yep, agreed.”

“Great, so if it happens organically then we’re both okay with that,” Patrick waits for David’s nod before continuing. “Flirting with other singles is on the table. We could be doing that over drinks, or by the pool…” Patrick suggests. He has a feeling David knows the definition of flirting and how to go about doing that. He more so needs the explicit definitions for himself. 

David closes his eyes and smiles faintly, no doubt transporting himself to the fantasy of hot weather and a poolside rendezvous.

“What else?” Patrick busies himself again with the label maker to finish off the last few bottles. He’s working a little faster, now, wanting to close up sooner rather than later in order to continue this conversation over dinner.

“Well, flirting usually leads to kissing,” David hints cautiously.

A montage of Jake stealing kisses from David starts playing in Patrick’s mind. He has complicated feelings about the concept because he’s never quite felt jealousy in response. Well, there was probably a percentage of it, but it was always laced with curiosity, desire, and overwhelm. He wants to witness David being loved, adored and cherished, because that’s what he deserves. He also wants to be watched as he loves, adores and cherishes David; his David. 

And while that’s something he does want to explore, it doesn’t erase the traces of jealousy he’s felt in direct correlation to Jake. He decides then and there that he needs more experience. He needs data points that aren’t people either of them have a history with. He does want David to have fun on this trip and he does want to consider bringing a third into their bed. 

“Would you be okay with it? If I kissed someone without you around?” Patrick asks, already knowing his own answer to the question. 

“I think earlier in our relationship I would have pretended to be okay with it, because I had a tiny little guilt complex over my colourful history.” 

Patrick nods but doesn’t interrupt. He’s never wanted David to be carrying around any guilt or regret over his past experiences. But they thoroughly hashed through this particular conversation throughout the beginning phase of their relationship. They’re in a good place of understanding and acceptance now. 

“But I think I would be okay with it right now. Truly. If it’s something you want to explore, then go for it.”

Patrick doesn’t necessarily have an innate urge to kiss some stranger. Sure, he comes across attractive people as he goes about his day to day life but he can’t wrap his head around someone making him feel even remotely close to how David makes him feel. But, it’s good that they’re talking about this. He wants to know for sure that if he was put in a sticky situation, he doesn’t have to guess or worry about David’s stance on the matter. 

“Okay,” Patrick clears his throat and repeats himself with a more sure tone. “Okay, I will. Like I said, only if it happens naturally. I primarily just want to eat good food and play games, honestly.” 

David laughs. “And uh- what about you? Would you be okay with me doing that?”

“Yes, yes. Sorry, I should have clarified sooner. I’d be okay with it. Not just because it would only be fair, but also because I don’t mind you exploring that, if you want.” 

David nods, accepting Patrick’s answer. 

A familiar little voice rings in Patrick’s mind, nagging him to say the full truth out loud. He takes a deep and blurts, “As long as it’s with people you don’t have a history with.”

“Of course. Thanks for letting me know, Patrick.” David smiles, satisfied. “It’s good that we started talking about this. I’m sorry it got you a little on edge, but you know my motto.” 

“If you can’t talk about it, you shouldn’t be doing it.” 

“Exactly. And I mean, cut a man some slack. We either have a god damn threesome, or we don’t. All this tiptoeing around is giving me blue balls.” 

Patrick shakes his head, both amused and startled. “Jeez, David, we’re still at the store,” he rolls his eyes as his husband throws his hands up in fake sorrow. “But you're right, we should be able to talk about these things. I can talk about these things,” he emphasizes.

“I know, honey,” David says, side hugging Patrick and placing a smooch on his temple before making his way to the other side of the center table for more organizing.

They wrap up at the store soon after that, only a handful of customers come by before the end of the day. Conversation flows pretty smoothly as they close up. They discuss sleeping in separate rooms and whether or not they will be able to see each other. Visiting other people’s rooms (not allowed) and whether or not heavy petting can accompany kisses (completely allowed). All the possibilities that would never all fit within five days, but they want to cover the hypotheticals. Some things are no brainers that get shut down immediately. Other things… require some thought. 

By the end of the week they’ve figured out a set of rules that they’re both comfortable with. It’s mind boggling to Patrick that after years of being together, of being as domestic as a married couple can be, there’s still so much uncharted territory to discover. So many more firsts he never thought he’d get to experience. 

He’s so giddy with excitement that he finishes packing his suitcase two whole days before they have to leave for their trip.

Chapter Text

In order to avoid crazy parking lot fees, they get Stevie to drop them off at the airport. Once the car comes to a stop, David exits without a word and rounds to the trunk. He grabs their bags and places them on the sidewalk, ignoring the look Patrick gives him. He’d make a comment about being capable of carrying heavy luggage if he so pleases, but a mild lump in his throat keeps him from speaking. 

He’s not really sure if he should crack a joke, or cry at the prospect of being separated from his husband. They have to say goodbye to each other before they hop on the plane, given they purposely booked their seats separately. The flight was included in the ticket package, and so they didn’t want to take any risks with the possibility that there would be other single travellers onboard.

Once the trunk is emptied and Stevie slams it shut, Patrick slides an arm behind David’s back. “You ready?” 

“Uh, yes!” David answers with heaps of confidence to make up for the uncertain expression he’s sure is on his face. 

“Aren’t you gonna take those off?” Stevie points at him. 

“What?” David looks down, confused. 

Patrick figures it out first, reaching over to grab David’s hand. “The wedding bands," he whispers, shock on his face indicating he’d also forgotten this little detail. 

“Fuck. We have to take them off?” David’s voice comes out a little frantic. He hasn’t taken off his ring since Patrick placed it on his finger on their wedding day. They hold each other’s hands gently between them, hesitating. 

Stevie scoffs at them from a distance. “Holy crap, looking at the both of you, you’d never think you put yourselves in this predicament.” 

David turns to Stevie abruptly, triggered by her insensitivity, “It was you! You did this to us!” 

“Did not. No one forced you to use those tickets yourself.” 

David doesn’t have a chance to throw a retort because Patrick’s hand is guiding his face back towards him. “It’s fine, David. Look," he reaches up to the chain necklace David wears daily around his neck. He makes quick work of unattaching it and gesturing for David’s hand. 

The wedding band is off David’s finger for a split second before he slips the chain through it. “See? You’ll still always be wearing it," he places it back around his neck, fastening it in place. 

David reaches up and fidgets with it for a moment. “Well, um. That’s good. I could’ve put it in a safe pouch in my suitcase," he shrugs. “But this is so much better, thank you," he smiles at Patrick gratefully as he tucks the necklace under his shirt. 

“Of course. I know how much it means to you," Patrick says. 

“Where will you put yours?” 

Patrick reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He opens it up and points to a zippered compartment that’s meant to hold coins but is currently empty. “This is probably a good enough hiding spot. And I always have my wallet on me to keep it close.” 

David takes his husband’s left hand in his and gently removes his wedding band. They place it in the wallet nice and snug. There. All proof is hidden. 

“Well, that was way more emotional than I was prepared for," David whines. 

Patrick doesn't reply, just pulls him in for a tight hug. He buries his nose in his neck which makes David feel right at home again. They stay like that for a moment, breathing in each other and letting their heartbeats fall in sync. 

Pulling back, David feels eons better. His breathing is steady and he’s once again able to feel excited about going on a cruise trip. He starts thinking of all the events he’d mentally signed up for. The brochure is in a pocket somewhere in his carry on, he’ll be able to find the exact details on the flight. 

So far, he’s thinking of going for a leisurely swim and testing out some cocktails. It’s about a three hour flight from Toronto to Orlando, so by the time they reach the ship he’s sure it’ll be well into the evening. He’d rather participate in a more passive activity and clear his head in preparation for when he actually has to socialize and meet new people the next day.

Poking Patrick’s shoulder, he announces, “There’s a karaoke event with an open dance floor tonight. It’s hosted at seven in something called the Media Lounge. Sounds like something you’d like.” 

“David, the whole point is we make our own evening plans. You shouldn’t know where I am.” 

“Fine, fine. C’mere,” reaching for Patrick’s face, he presses their lips together gently. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Me too,” Patrick says, arms in a tight grip around David’s waist. “I’ll have my phone on me the entire time. Call me if anything goes wrong," he places a smooch on the tip of his nose. Then lips. 

“I will. And we’ll do good morning and good night texts every day, like we agreed.”

“Of course.” 

“God, you’d think one of you was going off to war or something," Stevie pretends to gag. 

David throws his extra sweater at her face but they do let go of each other at this point. They each pick up their respective bags and take deep breaths. 

“This is going to be fun! Are you ready for some fun, David?” Patrick’s smile is wide and confident, chest puffed out in a posture that says he really is going off to war.

“Okay, you’re using your outdoor voice again," David winces.

“See you later, stranger," his husband winks at him before walking away and David, honest to god, feels five years younger. They’re really doing this. His heart leaps up and down as he lets Patrick get his head start. Once they step into the airport, they must pretend they don’t know each other. The more distance he puts between them, the easier it will be to pretend.

He turns to Stevie, “I’m actually going to need that sweater. Planes are always so damn cold in the air.” 

She rolls her eyes and leans in to give him a hug. “Stop worrying so much about Patrick, your marriage is going to be fine," she pulls back and David is happy to see a genuine smile on her face. “Enjoy yourself.”

“Who says I’m worried? I’m not worried.” 

“Mhmm, sure," she laughs, smacking his ass to urge him forward. 

As David steps onto the cruise ship, he can't help but frown and wonder where the fuck Stevie had found these tickets. His eyes don't know where to land, jumping from the plush leather chairs in the reception area to the curved set of stairs with glass railings to the left. He lets the crowd guide him, not really having a choice but to be pushed along to the upper level. 

The ship is as glamorous on the inside as it is on the outside. David really, truly, is beside himself with disbelief. He doesn't even care anymore that an open bar is not included. He'd gladly pay for drinks - or get someone to treat him - if it meant he can enjoy this little slice of heaven on earth. 

He does catch sight of Patrick in the crowd, but not for long. Everyone splits up into smaller groups led by ship representatives to give them a tour of the place. They lock eyes for a brief moment, Patrick’s eyebrows flying up in silent excitement before his group rounds a corner and disappears. 

Oh, this is going to be an interesting trip. 

David’s tour guide is nice, maybe even a little too nice, as she takes them to every nook and cranny on all levels of the ship. David just makes sure to note where the pool, the spa and the bar are and then enjoys the view for the rest of the walk. 

By the time the tour ends, all guests are on board and the ship actually sets sail. It’s late, the sun sets slowly despite it being barely six in the evening. Instead of casting a glow on the water’s horizon, the sun hides behind the cityscape as the ship swims further and further away from land. Sucks that they don’t have a pretty view, but David takes himself on a slow walk along the deck anyway, enjoying the look of fairy lights reflecting off the water.

He’s walked the entire length of the ship by the time he reaches the sleeping quarters. The minute he steps into his cabin, he lets out an unjustified moan. His suitcase is placed for him by the foot of the bed; there’s a window overlooking the water; towels are folded together in the shape of a swan. 

“Oh my god. A+ service," he mutters to no one. 

He doesn’t think he’s been this spoiled since before the whole Eli debacle. 

One arm after the next, David uses his weakest form of front crawl to push through his third lap around the pool. It’s quiet underwater, comforting in a way that the outside world can never be. His lungs ache deliciously. The small puffs of air he gasps in every four seconds are enough for him to stay oxygenated, but his heart still beats frantically as it propels him. 

His head eventually breaks through the surface of the water. He pushes himself forward one last time before he’s able to reach the far end of the pool. Using what little strength he has left, he hoists himself up and over the edge. He pauses to take a few deep breaths, happy to just sit on the edge, dangling his legs and basking in the simple feeling of unlimited oxygen filling his lungs.

Walking back to his beach chair - carefully selected to the side to ensure minimal contact with strangers - he takes in his surroundings. Groups of university aged students laughing obnoxiously loud but generally keeping to themselves. A smattering of middle aged women lounging in their bathing suit cover ups, dry as a bone. 

It’s relatively crowded, but David is finding it hard to be upset about that. The air is fresh and everyone is keeping their distance and there’s a distinct lack of… kids. Not a single child is in sight. 

Talk about a luxury experience. 

By the time his towel is wrapped around him and he’s seated in his chair, he’s still panting a little too heavy. The burn in his chest hasn’t eased up. He’d never admit this to anyone, but maybe he did push himself a little past his limit.

Out of literally nowhere, something bounces off his head and startles a squeal out of him. 

“What the...” he sits up straight, eyes darting around searching for the offending object. It’s a beach ball that had landed directly on top of the bag that holds his dry clothes. He picks it up a little too aggressively and stands up. “Who! Did this!” 

Some guy to the side snickers at David but shrugs, absolving himself of the crime. 

David looks around, needing to at least find someone to return this ball to. He may or may not have plans to also give them a lesson in poolside etiquette and a free measuring tape to help them calculate personal space.  

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” David only realizes someone is speaking to him when a woman in a bright yellow bikini comes running towards him at full speed. Her arms are stretched out in front of her as if in a delayed reaction to stop the ball from reaching him. 

“Okay, first of all, slow down,” he warns. She comes to a halt in front of him and pants heavily. “It’s not safe to run on a wet surface. Especially when your feet are bare.” 

“Sorry, it’s just,” she pauses to take a deep breath. “The ball, it’s mine. I mean, it’s my friend’s. It’s ours, we were playing in the pool.” 

David squints his eyes and skims the pool in the general direction she’s pointing to. Two other girls around the same age are giggling next to each other as they turn away, pretending David didn’t just lock eyes with them. “I see. Well, tell your friends they have terrible aim. I’m on the complete other side of the deck.” David shakes his head, disappointed, as he hands her the ball back. 

She laughs and shrugs. “She actually had better aim than I was expecting.”  

“I’m sorry?”

Her smile falls, expression going flat. “I mean- not like- I was just surprised it didn’t fly over the fence and into the ocean. That’s all. She has really bad aim.” 

The way this woman is stuttering over her words heightens David’s suspicions. As she hurries to come up with some sort of excuse, he doesn’t really listen. Instead, he takes in her appearance. The way she frowns gives her age range away. Not a single forehead wrinkle is in sight. His eyes travel down for a moment, making some mental calculations based on the firmness of her chest.   

She’s quite a bit younger than he first categorized her. Mid-twenties at most. 

“I’m just going to cut you off right there,” David says, stopping her rant. “Why did your friend throw this ball at me?” He reaches forward and grabs the ball back, strangely feeling like he’s confiscating a toy from a bunch of kids. “Is this some sort of ageism bullying thing? Because I’ll have you know-”

“Oh, no!” Her eyes bulge out of their sockets in fear. At being caught, probably. “It’s not like that, I just- she just…” the poor girl starts looking around frantically looking for an escape. But David is a victim of a hate crime here, he needs answers. He grips her ball tighter. She looks back at him, “It’s not an age thing. You’re cool. You look great.” 

“I’m sorry, I look great? Are you placating me?” 

She closes her eyes and takes two deep breaths. She looks at him again, a resolved expression overtaking her face. “I’m going to kill her. This is so embarrassing. It’s just that we noticed you when you first got here and started swimming laps around the pool.”

David tilts his head, not understanding where this story was heading. But she’s no longer talking excuses out of her ass so he listens. 

“Do I have to say it?” 

“If you want your ball back, yes.” 

“I might have made a couple of comments. Or like, several. About how you’re… my type. Or whatever,” she shrugs aggressively.

Oh. Oh.

“It’s nothing. We were just being silly and she took it too far. Can I have the ball back?” 

“Not yet. Do you mean your type as in… as in…” for some reason, David can’t say it. Is she attracted to him? His blood starts rushing through his body, a sudden sense of I’m being seen right now courses through him. 

“As in, I would be attracted to you if I wasn’t so embarrassed right now,” her eyes dart in all sorts of directions that don’t include making eye contact. Now that David has an idea of what’s going on in her head, he can’t help but notice every time her eyes land on his body. 

There’s a beat between them when neither of them talk. Her eyes are currently on his chest, which makes him achingly aware of the towel wrapped around his waist. It’s soaked, heavy and dragging his swim trunks down with it. He won’t look now, but he’s pretty certain a whole lot more of his happy trail is visible than would be appropriate in front of a stranger. 

A severe case of goosebumps make his arm hairs stand straight. He shivers. 

“Well, um. I guess her plan worked then,” he blinks rapidly and gestures in mid air with his free arm. “To get you up here talking to me.” 

She finally looks up again. “I guess it did,” she licks her lips, starting to bounce back and forth on her heels. “My name’s Lisa.” 

“David,” he gives her his best crooked smile.  

“Nice to meet you, David,” the tips of her ears turn red as she makes her next move. “There’s a mix and mingle happening tomorrow over lunch. Would I be able to see you there?” 

“Oh, no I-” David begins to shut her advances down before he realizes where they are. On his left hand his thumb consciously brushes up against his ring finger. The absence of his wedding band is glaring and undeniable. 

He’s single; or so she thinks. His mind riffles through the conversation he and Patrick had the previous week. There’s no harm in letting a young smitten girl flirt with him. And there’s no shame in enjoying flirting back. This is… something he can have. 

“Actually, yes,” he smiles wide. He shakes his head to bring himself back into the moment. “I’ll be at the mixer.”

She smiles again. It’s a nice smile. “Okay, great.” 

“Great.” 

With a cute little giggle, she quickly turns around and starts walking away. 

“Oh, Lisa?” 

She turns back, an innocent dazed look on her face. 

“Your ball?”

“Right! Oh my god, thank you,” she grabs it and runs off in the direction of her friends.

David debates for a split second calling out that she shouldn’t be running. But, seeing as he is decidedly not flirting with a child, he keeps his mouth shut. Another shiver brings him back to reality. His time at the pool is over, he needs to get himself clean again and into something more comfortable for the night. 

Without putting his shirt back on, David gathers his belongings. He takes the long way around the pool to the exit, making sure to pass by the corner where Lisa has just jumped back in with her friends. He doesn’t look, but he doesn’t have to. It’s more for them than it is for him.

David makes his way down to the lower floor, half lost half following the signs that could lead him back to his room. Before he can get too far, he recognizes a standing sign for the same karaoke event he’d suggested to Patrick as they said goodbye. Curious, he turns the corner and pokes his head into a door of a very large open space. 

The lounge is mostly empty, it looks like most folks have come and gone. Someone’s singing into a mic, but the small stage at the front is abandoned. David’s eyes land on the dancefloor in the center. A short twenty-something year old girl is belting out an upbeat pop song while Patrick - Patrick! - sways nearby, strumming expertly at a guitar. Everyone else is mostly putting chairs away and collecting garbage but these two seem to be in a world of their own as they enjoy their craft. 

Without permission, a goofy smile shows up on David’s face. He tries to fight it, tries to be as unphased as possible. But he can’t help it, he has the biggest crush on his husband. Especially when he’s in his element like this. 

“Which one are you checking out?”

David jumps, not expecting a voice to come up from behind him. 

“Sorry, didn’t realize you were so entranced," says a woman who looks to be about David’s age. Well, the age he looks, not the age he truly lives.

“It’s fine, I was just about to leave.” 

The woman smirks and nudges him with her elbow like they’re in on some secret together. “First night and you’ve already got your eyes on someone? A guy who knows what he wants.” 

Ah, an avid small talker. David is starting to feel slightly self-conscious about his shirtless figure, why couldn’t he just have slipped a shirt on? Has his ego been that deprived?

Yes, yes it has.

Through no fault of Patrick, of course. His husband showers him with love and attention day in and day out. Routine cuddles every night as they fall asleep. Hugs and kisses as greetings for when they spend a day apart. The small acts of the love that he’s gotten accustomed to still, to this day, make his heart flutter. 

And yet, there is an element to first getting to know someone that you just can’t recreate with someone you’re in a committed relationship with. The will they, won’t they dynamic. The is this person flirting with me or are they just extremely extroverted?

Still, as much as he can validate his decision to remain shirtless, he can still regret it. They are not mutually exclusive feelings. 

He pulls up his bag higher, hugging it to his chest as he converses with this woman. “I mean, sort of. I haven’t talked to him or anything, just… kinda think he’s cute," David’s eyes fly back to Patrick. He looks like he’s singing along now. Although, when or where he learned the lyrics to an Ariana Grande song, David can’t figure out. 

“Darn, I was hoping you were eyeing my sister. She’s the little singing monkey over there. She hasn’t been on a date in years," she rolls her eyes, jokingly annoyed.

“You know, contrary to popular belief, hooking people up behind their backs is not correct," David points out. “Also, you’re on a singles cruise with your little sister?” He thinks that if Alexis was here, they’d go out of their ways to sabotage each other’s experiences.

The woman laughs, she’s very charismatic and her hair frames her face just right, David’s finding it hard to dislike her and he has a very robust dislikable until proven likable policy about strangers. 

“I’m actually a matchmaker by profession. That’s why I’m on board, I manage some of the speed dating sessions," she extends her arm out and David accepts her handshake. “I’m Maggie.” 

“Hi Maggie, um,” David stutters. He suddenly feels like a deer caught in headlights, knowing very well he and Patrick are not nearly as good at acting as they'd like to think they are. If they interact for even one minute in front of this woman, the jig will be up. “Well, I better go," he points his thumb behind him.

“You don’t want to make a move?” She gestures to Patrick who has now completed the song and is helping everyone else with the cleanup. 

“Like you said, it’s only the first night. I still have time to build up the courage. Preferably not half naked, as well.” 

She laughs and nods her head, “I guess you’re right. Well, if you want any pointers, just ask the staff for me. I’d be more than happy to help two soulmates unite along the path of love.” 

“Oh, aha,” David fake laughs. “I definitely will do that!” His voice goes up an octave under the pressure of forcing out a lie. He turns on his heels and bolts. His smile turns into a grimace as he tries to find his bearings and the right direction to his room. 

Mulling over the conversation he had with Maggie, David thinks this is absolutely something that Patrick would find hilarious. He has the urge to call him for a quick story time. Since neither of them are tucked away safely in their rooms, that’s not really an option. He considers texting him, but he also doesn’t want to take away from his time making new musical friends. 

His thoughts are all shuffled up and contradict each other. It’s all too familiar to the way they used to dance around each other hesitantly before they became an official couple. The only differences between back then and now being a lot more butterflies and a lot less confidence. 

Patrick must be thinking about him too, because the stars align and his unique ringtone for Patrick's texts chimes through.

At this point in their conversation, David has arrived at his room so he tucks his phone away for a moment before rummaging in his bag for a key. He lets himself in, tosses his key, and immediately rids his bag of all the wet towels lest he forget about them and wake up to a foul stench in the morning. He lays them out to dry in the adjoining washroom and arranges all the necessary items for a semi luxurious shower experience. Before he hops in, he checks to see what Patrick had to say. 

David takes his shower. He blow dries his hair - because going to sleep with it wet is an absolute death wish - as he listens to some cheesy love songs he’d never admit to having a dedicated playlist for. It is Valentine’s Week after all and he wants to maximize the value of getting ready for bed alone, zero judge-y eyes in sight. 

He slips into his fuzziest pair of grey sweatpants and matching sleep shirt. He digs around his bag for his chain before slipping it around his neck and patting it twice, feeling the gentle tap of his wedding ring against his collarbone.

He’s checking all the pamphlets provided on the floating bedside table, looking for any loophole that allows him to order room service for free, when the next text message from Patrick comes in.

David doesn’t bother hiding the dopey smile on his face as he puts his phone away. He is a little miffed he doesn’t get the luxury of a queen bed, but his room does have a decently sized TV on the opposite wall. He’s come to learn about this thing called counting his blessings. He appreciates now, and even seeks, the freedom that brings. 

He puts on an old episode of Downton Abbey and settles in his bed with all his skincare. That should keep him busy until he gets sleepy. 

Chapter Text

Patrick wakes up on the first full day of their trip energized and excited. He sends a quick good morning text to David as he brushes his teeth. Knowing that he’s likely not getting a response for at least an hour or two, he puts his phone away and gets his day started.

It’s 8:30am by the time he heads out the door of his room and almost immediately some sort of intercom system starts playing a bell noise to signal the start of the day. Patrick cringes, thinking of a poor David who isn’t as deep of a sleeper as he’d like to be.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning, honorary Caribbean passengers! This is your captain, Gregory Gibson, reporting to you from the bridge...”

Patrick locks the door behind him and sets on his walk to the common areas downstairs.

“...It is an absolutely glorious 78 degrees on this beautiful morning. We have been at sea for approximately fourteen hours. Which means, you guessed it! We’ll be arriving at our destination shortly. If you are planning on exploring the city, make sure you are back on deck by six pm sharp. Until then, I hope you have a bright, and sunny day!”

The captain’s voice fades away as Jazz music fades in. Patrick arrives at the breakfast buffet to find long lines curving this way and that. Passengers who, just like Patrick, seem to want to get the most out of their day as early as possible.

He’s just about to peek around people’s shoulders to gauge which table is serving which food when he recognizes Marissa and immediately gravitates towards her. Once she spots him, she waves hello.

“Hey! Nice to see a familiar face. Wanna grab breakfast together?”

“Oh yea, definitely. It’s already so crowded, I didn’t realize so many people are early risers.”

She shrugs as they grab a tray each and join the back of a line, “Mh, vacation vibes I guess. So, how was the rest of your night?”

Patrick had met Marissa the night before at the Karaoke bar. She’s a petite girl with a large personality. She has an incredible singing voice and her take-no-nonsense attitude makes it easy to talk to her without the awkward layer of small talk. He’s perfectly happy spending some time with her until he meets other people.

“Good, nothing eventful.”

She nods, “Cool, cool. I came from the west coast so my internal clock was way off. Couldn’t sleep. I ended up going back downstairs to grab a drink with the night owls…”

They end up chatting about nothing in particular until it’s their turn to self serve. The table is absolutely packed with all sorts of brunch foods. From eggs and bacon to French toast and pancakes. All the jam flavours under the sun. There’s even a platter of falafels and hummus which Patrick always assumed was a dinner food but here it is.

David would love this spread. Patrick only hopes he gets up in time to find more than just scrappy leftovers. He snaps a picture of the table and texts it over. That might encourage him to start his day sooner.

They grab seats at an empty table and start digging in as they chat about the day’s plans.

“There’s a mix and mingle, a daytime bar, the beach of course, cliff side rock climbing... I mean the list goes on and on,” Marissa mutters as she flips through pages of her brochure.

Patrick shrugs, “I’m happy to do any of those, honestly. Just looking for a good time.”

“Most of these require swimming gear, I hope you’ve got your trunks under those shorts.”

“Shoot, I don’t…”

“Patrick, come on! We’re in The Bahamas, everything is centered around water.”

He laughs along with her and scarfs down his last two bites. They agree to split up temporarily for him to head back to his room and get himself ready for swimming activities before finding each other at the ship entrance where they’ll off board to The Bahamas for the day.

Patrick snaps a picture of himself in his trunks. He’s posing shirtless in front of the bathroom mirror, hoping to get some good lighting in order to impress David with his ever improving selfie skills. He sends the picture over with a caption reading ‘Getting ready for the day’ before slipping on his shirt and grabbing a small backpack full of miscellaneous necessitates.

David must’ve finally woken up because he immediately responds. Patrick locks up and converses with his secret husband as he walks back down to find Marissa. 

“Patrick! Patrick, over here!”

He pockets his phone and looks around. He can hear Marissa’s voice but she’s nowhere to be found. Approaching the gate where people are lined up to exit, he sees a man looking directly at him, arm raised in a hesitant wave. “Are you Patrick?”

“Uh, yea?”

The guy smiles and turns, revealing a tiny Marissa behind him looking relieved.

“Hey, sorry. I am way too tiny to be flagging people down in this crowd,” she greets Patrick with a warm hug before turning to the guy who helped her out. “Thanks, uh…”

“Geoff. And no worries, I was just standing around anyway waiting for the gate to open.”

“Oh, are you not here with any friends?” She asks curiously.

“Nope,” his smile is lopsided in a half smirk as he pops the P. “I’m spending the week solo. Best way to really experience the people.”

She winces, as if she might have a different opinion about that but it would be too rude to voice it to a stranger. Patrick knows from yesterday that Marissa is only here because her sister pulled her along. He gets the idea that embedding herself in a crowd of singles around her age is just not Marissa's idea of a good time. “Impressive. Kinda bold of you, but impressive.”

Patrick laughs. Marissa sometimes says things that remind him of his husband. Although, the very act of putting herself out there and making a friend on the spot is very unlike his husband. But everyone is unique after all.

“Why don’t you spend some time with us? I’m Marissa by the way. This is Patrick.”

Geoff turns to Patrick. He locks eyes with him in a manner that only solidifies, in Patrick’s mind, that this guy is confident in his skin. “I’d love to. What did you guys want to get up to?”

That’s how Patrick finds himself entertained for a period of time as they wait for the official ship crew to guide them off the ship and away from the port. It’s a significant walk from where they’re docked to the ocean-side beach.

As they walk, the three of them are already melting under the Caribbean air. Most closed spaces on the ship are air conditioned 24/7. Spending time on the upper deck in the open was fine because as long as the ship was moving, there was a little bit of a breeze. Here, on land, Patrick can truly feel the humidity for the first time. As a Canadian, he’s a little taken aback that there is even a place on earth that can be this hot during February.

“Okay, I’m vetoing the mingle thing and the bar. It’s too hot to be around that many people,” Marissa fans herself with her brochure as they walk.

Patrick pipes in, “There are plenty of water based activities. We can go to the beach, they say it’s not so crowded this time of the year. They also rent kayaks by the hour. Or cliff-side rock climbing, whatever that means...” he squints at the paper, trying to learn about the activities presented.

“Hmm,” Geoff considers their options. They both look over at him, open to suggestions. “Okay, not to sound like a snob, but I personally don’t want to sit and waste away by the beach.”

Marissa smirks. “Of course you don’t, judging by these bad boys you are definitely the exercise-on-a-holiday type of guy,” she leans over and pats Geoff’s nearest bicep like it’s a piece of meat.

He laughs, not ashamed one bit, nodding over to Patrick’s side. “Looks like I’m not the only one.”

Patrick quirks an eyebrow and throws him a glance, wondering what he means. Marissa giggles and slides in between them, hooking a hand through each of their elbows. “Smooth.”

They continue to walk as a trio, Patrick looking head, focusing on his footing. He has the vague impression that Geoff was speaking about his own arms. But he’s not sure why. His shirt isn’t tight or revealing by any means and he knows his muscle definition isn’t anywhere near as impressive as Geoff's. He’s more likely to have been deflecting the compliment that Marissa shot at him than complimenting Patrick directly.

Yep, that’s what it was.

They finally reach the beach and set down their bags momentarily, catching their breaths.

“Okay, so there’s the sign for the kayaks. We could just do that to avoid more walking,” Patrick suggests.

Before either Marissa or Geoff can voice their opinion, a group of rowdy young men jog up near them. “Hey there, pretty lady,” one of them advances.

“Hi?” Marissa frowns, unimpressed.

“Got any plans for the day?”

Marissa sighs, “Well, I guess we were just about to decide, weren’t we boys?”

The dude doesn’t even spare them a glance, replying to her before Patrick or Geoff can get a word in. “Come with us, I’ve got an in with the kayak guy, I can get ‘em for free.”

Marissa shrugs, turning to get their opinion.

“Oh, the offer is just for you, by the way.”

Patrick bristles behind her, this guy is acting obnoxious and rude at the very least. He takes in his ratty shorts and shirt that looks like the sleeves have been ripped off intentionally. He looks to be very young in age, closer to Marissa’s age than either he or Geoff are.

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Marissa declines. Her face is pinched up, looking on the verge of telling him off, but not wanting to make a scene.

“Come on,” he lifts a hand, placing it on her shoulder - uninvited. “I can show you a good time.”

“Get off me,” she tries to shrug him off but his hand sticks to her.

At this point Geoff decided to intervene, taking a single step forward. “Come on, man, she said she wasn’t interested.”

Douche-guy scowls at him, “I think the young lady can speak for herself.”

“Oh, she can. And she did,” Marissa bites back, “I already told you, no thanks.”

All the sweet talk falls off his face as he frowns, not liking where this was going. “You’re on a singles cruise and you want to spend time with a bunch of boomers? I don’t believe it.”

Marissa’s jaw drops.

Patrick, worried about her doing something she’d regret, steps up, “Hey man, that’s not cool-”

The guy turns to throw a retort at Patrick but is stopped short when Marissa steps up and shoves his chest. “You take that back!”

“Hey, what did I say?”

“These are my friends. I’m spending the day with them, you absolute nut bag,” she looks like she’s about to launch at him again so Patrick grabs her and holds her back.

“Okay, okay. I think we’re done here,” Geoff says, directing his voice at everyone. The douchebag raises his arms in surrender and smirks. He walks backwards until he’s absorbed into his group of friends.

Marissa continues to mutter under her breath, “Absolute trash. Ridiculous. Entitled piece of-”

Patrick clears his throat. “Great, so no kayaks today. Makes our decision easy for us.”

Geoff nods in agreement, slinging his and Marissa’s bags around his shoulders and passing Patrick his own.

They guide her away and in the opposite direction of the kerfuffle. The air is suddenly tense between them. While it wasn’t any of their fault, Patrick is still upset that his new friend got so worked up over an asshole that said some stupid remarks about them. He wants to wrap her up in his arms, but he also doesn’t want to touch her without her permission like the other guy did.

Eventually though, after walking in silence for a few moments, she loosens up and leans into him. He wraps an arm around her shoulders, relieved that she will let him help in some way. “I’m just so sick and tired of it. You know? Guys just think they’re entitled to everything. They’re entitled to shit.”

Marissa is short enough that Geoff and Patrick can look over and see each other over her head. She continues her monologue, directed at neither of them and both of them at the same time. “Just when I think I’ve outgrown the age of attracting douchebag surfer boys, they pop up out of nowhere. I mean where do they come from? Are they bred? Where can I report an infestation?”

Geoff unsuccessfully tries to hold back a snicker.

She looks over at him. “It’s not funny! You guys don’t even understand. The thing with men is, I always give them the benefit of the doubt. And they always prove me wrong,” she frowns, her steps in the sand becoming more and more like stomps than casual steps. “Men are stupid,” she mumbles.

Patrick locks eyes with Geoff over her head again, lifting an eyebrow. He’s happy to see his male companion has a similar expression on his face. They both tilt their heads without saying anything. As if communicating, ‘Well, we think we’re pretty decent men but if we say anything we’d be proving the opposite.’

“Anyway, where is the stupid cliff so I can jump off it already!?” Marissa throws her arms up, exasperated. The action jostles Patrick off her. But it’s fine, the tender moment is now behind them.

“Okay, uh, we’ve got a long way to go,” he says apologetically.

“We need to distract you,” Geoff says, “We need a distraction, Patrick, how can we distract her?”

“Uh,” he panics, feeling put on the spot. “We could... We should get to know each other. Play twenty questions or something?”

“Excellent idea! Might as well, now that we’re friends,”

Marissa shrugs, nodding along but not saying anything. It looks like she’s suddenly deflated of all her energy. The boys decide to play twenty questions anyway, getting to know each other as she walks silently between them. Occasionally, they nudge her to answer one of the questions with them. She mumbles one word answers and doesn’t say much else.

Patrick drops his bag to the sand and stares. The view of the ocean is incredible. He’s never seen such turquoise water. It’s blue but it’s also not any blue Patrick has ever seen on any vacation. It’s vibrant and it ranges in shades. There are patches of light blue, and patches of deep deep cobalt. It’s also huge and his eyes have trouble taking in the entire landscape at once.

“Beautiful…” comes from next to him. Geoff is also panting heavily, relieved to remove the bags from his shoulders.

They both stare at the horizon, lost in their own thoughts. After hungrily taking in the views for a couple of minutes, they finally break apart and settle in. Geoff takes a seat on a rock, rummaging through his bag.

Struck by the beauty of the moment, Patrick operates on autopilot as he pulls up his phone and snaps a couple of pictures. He also turns around and takes one of himself in the corner with the water behind him, knowing how much David likes when he includes himself in the photos he takes. He picks his favourite one and sends it over with a simple caption 'Absolutely gorgeous. Wish you were here'.

Smiling happily, he pockets his phone and digs around through his bag as well, looking for his bottle to hydrate himself after the long walk.

“I’m gay.”

Patrick chokes on his water. He looks up and finds Marissa, still standing by the edge of the rocks, looking at the endless body of water in front of her. He pats his fist into his chest a couple of times, trying to alleviate the pain.

Neither he nor Geoff say anything.

She turns to them and says with the same intonation, same expression on her face, this time making eye contact. “I’m gay.”

Patrick really, truly, is speechless. He wants to react. He wants to jump up and gather her in a hug, but the statement still holds heavy over him.

Geoff is the first one to stand up, “Hey, dude, that’s great! Up top,” he raises his arm, opening his hand to offer Marissa a high five.

She stares at him, frowning. Patrick worries for a moment that him trying to lighten the mood would backfire. That it would upset Marissa even more. Further prove her theory about all men being stupid.

But then she cracks a smile. It turns out to be what she needed because she laughs and doesn’t leave him hanging. Their high five resounds in the air around them. “Thanks?”

“Of course! I mean, that’s great news, right?” Geoff turns to Patrick for assurance, who just shrugs. “You don’t have to deal with stupid men anymore.”

Marissa laughs, looking relieved and carefree once again. More at ease than she’s been since the heated moment at the beach. “I mean, I kinda always was gay. And I still had to deal with them. But I appreciate the enthusiasm. It feels nice to say it out loud.”

Patrick stands up then, finally shaking himself out of his trance. “You haven’t said it out loud before? Are you, uh… not out yet?”

She shrugs, “I’ve implied it to a couple of close friends. Never used those words though.”

Patrick nods, thinking back to a time when being gay was just something in the back of his mind. Shoved back there because the words themselves seemed too big and meaningful to bring into light.

“Anyway, yuck. Enough feelings,” Marissa shudders. “Are we gunna climb some rocks or what?”

“I’ve been ready. Let’s do this!” They both look over to Geoff only to find a shirtless body slamming his discarded shirt into the sand-littered rocks. Both Marissa and Patrick’s jaws drop to the floor as they take in the literal greek god in front of them. They'd joked about his physique on their walk over, but nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared them for the fact that Geoff is the definition of muscle and form.

“Okay, when I said you were a physical guy, I didn’t not expect this!” Marissa is the first to speak. Patrick blinks rapidly and looks away, not appreciating how easily he'd been entranced.

Geoff winks and flexes a pec, “Let’s go get us some equipment.”

As he runs off, Patrick’s eyes trail after him.

“Hello, earth to Patrick?” Marissa waves a hand in front of his face.

“Huh, what?”

“What have I gotten myself into,” she shakes her head and laughs, running after Geoff to help carry back some ropes, hooks and harnesses.

Patrick and his friends listen intently as the rock climbing instructor voices a list of instructions and safety guidelines. She helps them place their harnesses in the correct position and guides them to the best location along the cliff.

With the way the activity is set up, each climber requires a partner to anchor them on the ground. Because there’s three of them, they decide to take turns anchoring each other.

First, Patrick lines up to climb as Geoff hooks himself to the rope in order to anchor him and use the pulley mechanism to pull him up. Patrick takes one last glance at him to ensure they’re good to go before he steps up to take his first leap.

The fact that Geoff has decided to keep his shirt off and wear his harness directly on his chiseled torso... is not lost on him. Patrick himself has decided to leave his shirt on until it’s time for him to take his dive into the ocean.

The minute he’s in the air, Patrick can feel his body coming alive. The first few steps are easy, his knees bend comfortably and his feet find footing on the sturdy rocks. While Geoff is doing the heavy lifting in keeping Patrick’s body weight in the air, he still has to do most of the work directing himself this way and that to find the best path up the naturally formed earth.

Heart pumping, lungs burning, forearms aching, he arrives at the top of the cliff. He removes his helmet and takes in the sight. If he thought the view from down below was incredible, this one is absolutely breathtaking. He can’t come up with words to describe it. His eyes just... drink it all in.

It would be nice to send David another shot, but he is actually kind of glad his phone is secured in his bag, left safe with his friends. Because it means he can take in this moment for himself.

Smiling, he looks down. Wanting to see their reactions.

“What’s it like!?” Marissa shouts up at him.

“It’s amazing. You have to come up!” Patrick yells back. He turns back and prepares himself to dive. There’s another beach guide up here chilling under a tent, ensuring all folks who come up are jumping from safe points and into the open portion of the water.

Once he gets the go ahead, Patrick dives.

Free fall is... actually fucking scary. For an instant Patrick’s body freaks out. He loses form and flails his limbs until he remembers to open his eyes. Seeing the open space ahead of him calms him. And then he enjoys the feeling.

It’s nice. He’s somehow still falling. This is way higher than any diving board off a pool ever was.

His body breaches the surface of the water. He sinks and sinks and sinks. He can’t see what’s up from down. His senses are all confused.

He went from hearing the wind soar past his ears to absolute silence. His mind zooms in on the inner sounds of his body. His heart beats fast as he finds his way up again.

Finding air, he takes the deepest breath he is able to take in.

“Holy crap!”

He turns around, looking for someone, anyone who can tell him, ’Yes you just jumped from a fucking cliff and survived it!’

He finds his friends in the distance, he’s further out in the water than he’s expected. He keeps treading breathlessly as he pinpoints Marissa shackled up and approaching the cliff. Geoff is anchoring her as he alternates between watching her and looking back for Patrick.

Patrick waves a thumbs up at him before swimming back to shore.

Back at the base with Geoff, Patrick laughs aloud. The absolute rush of adrenaline is still shaking him to the core. “Man, that was...”

“Dude, that looked fucking sick.”

“Yea, I mean, I have no words. For a minute my entire body just... floated? And my brain completely shut off. You know what I mean?”

Geoff looks over at him, his smile bright and easy going. “I don’t, but I’m about to find out.”

Patrick nods, continuing to take deep breaths.

The quick glance down to Patrick’s chest and away again is what brings Patrick back to earth. Right, he is shirtless. Because he just dove off a cliff. In The Bahamas. Where he’s spending a holiday with his secret husband. They’re having new experiences and meeting new people.

New people that are quickly becoming Patrick’s friends and... objects of his attraction?

Well, one of them is, at least.

Patrick can’t think of Marissa in any way other than the little sister he never had.

But Geoff is... he’s something. Patrick let’s his brain go there. It’s no secret that Geoff is an attractive guy. But does that mean that Patrick is attracted to him?

Patrick thinks back on the conversation he and David had at the store. There really is no harm in looking for a variety in experiences. Patrick likes to think of them as data points. It makes him feel better to think that each one can be a small piece of information that feeds to the bigger picture of figuring himself out.

Continuously adjusting and calibrating his sexuality.

David has time and time again explained to Patrick that sexuality shouldn’t be considered a boxed image of someone at a particular point in time. It’s more likely to evolve and change as you grow.

Just because you were into something before, doesn’t mean you always will be. Along the same vein, just because you haven’t tried something before, doesn’t mean it’s ever too late.

God it’s all so... infinite. The realm of possibilities.

Patrick shakes his head. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of heavy thoughts a simple dive into deep water triggered.

“Hey, Patrick?”

“Yea?”

“She’s up!”

Patrick follows his direction and finds Marissa on top of the cliff. He’s suddenly glad he went first because seeing how high up she is now is scaring him. Doesn’t matter that he’s just done the dive himself.

Marissa waves, clearly excited, before leaping off the cliff.

“How does it feel up there?” Geoff asks.

“It’s... unbelievable. The minute I was up on the rocks it was like I left the world and all its worries behind.”

Geoff watches him, awed.

“And then I fell,” Patrick laughs. “I had it in my mind that I would dive in but I immediately lost all form.”

Geoff folds his arms across his chest and nudges Patrick’s shoulder with his own. It’s hot, his shoulder is hot. In contrast to Patrick who was recently soaked with water. “Well, you looked pretty good from up here. Form or no form.”

“Thanks man,” Patrick smiles, allowing himself to lock eyes with him for 0.2 seconds longer than necessary.

They both then look over at the beach to find Marissa swimming back safely.

“Guess it’s time for you to do me,” Geoff winks at him before putting on his helmet and grabbing for the rope.

Patrick gawks, now absolutely certain that he’s tossing these comments and innuendos on purpose. Patrick absolutely cannot wink and he definitely will not attempt to flirt back... but he can smile. He can smirk-smile back at Geoff and let the heat grow between them as they get into position and line up for the third of the trio to take his turn.

"Holy fuck!" Comes from behind him.

"I know right?!" Patrick replies, focus still directed towards helping lift Geoff off the ground.

"That was insane! I thought I was going to die," Marissa exclaims. She puts herself in Patrick's line of sight. He can see her now, twisting her two dutch braids to squeeze water out of them.

"Hey, wait till I'm gone! Don't freak me out," Geoff calls out from a couple of feet up.

Marissa laughs and wishes him good luck. She walks over to their pile of belongings and grabs their water bottles. Patrick accepts his bottle gratefully and gulps down water like he's starving for it.

"This is shaping out to be a really great day," She says, looking off into the water in admiration. I mean, a couple more rounds and it might be the greatest day."

"I don't know about greatest, but it's definitely up there. After my-" Patrick cuts himself off, realizing he was about to reference his wedding as his greatest day.

Marissa looks at him, waiting for him to finish his train of thought. He scrambles, filtering through his brain for something else that would fit. "Well, after the day I came out. To my parents. That was a pretty great day."

Her eyes focus in on his face, a look of understanding dawning on her. "Ah. That would beat it," she nods along. "So you actively came out to your parents. It was, like, a whole thing?"

"Well, it wasn't a whole thing but it was definitely a conversation we needed to have."

She starts pacing back and forth next to him, digging her feet into the sand. "I'm always on the fence. My family is pretty progressive, so I know I should be thankful for that. But it also makes me think, maybe they already know? They're the type to... wait for me to tell them. But then I wonder if they would just laugh it off if they think I think they already know?!"

Patrick stares at her for a second before glancing back to monitor his rock climbing partner. Geoff is nearly at the top of the cliff. "Uh, I'm no expert but. It sounds like you're overthinking it way too much. What I've learned, personally, is that almost everything can be solved by an honest conversation."

Marissa shrugs, taking in what he's saying but not entirely convinced.

"What's the harm? You either tell them and they already know. Or you tell them, and you guys grow closer."

She rolls her eyes, "Well, I know that logically. I just... I'm not that brave, I guess. Not as brave as you are, at least."

Patrick frowns, that idea not sitting right with him at all. He's hardly the bravest guy in any room. It took him decades to come to terms with who he was. And a considerable amount of time after that to share who he was with his parents. He's not going to stand here and represent a fake example for his new friend.

"If you call coming out to your parents in your thirties brave, then maybe I am."

Her eyes bulge out of her eyes, "Oh my god, really?"

"Yea. So, you can come out tomorrow, or next week, or next year. The timing doesn't matter. You'd still be brave and they'd still be your family who loves you no matter what.”

Nodding along, she seems to accept the piece of spontaneous advice he's giving.

They both look up in time to see Geoff run forward a few steps before flinging himself off the cliff. He does a perfect somersault in the air before straightening his body and hitting the water head first.

“Gosh, that man is fit,” Marissa says.

“Careful, you’re drooling,” Patrick teases.

She huffs and smacks his arms, “Oh, like you haven’t been drooling all over him since the minute we hit the beach.”

“I haven’t!”

“Your oolgy eyes say otherwise,” she smirks.

“No, he’s not- I’m not… It’s just…”

“Hmm, maybe I should be placing my bets on him making the first move.” 

“Okay stop, he’s literally on his way over.” 

Geoff jogs up the shore and joins them, a look of absolute joy on his face. “That was the best rush I’ve ever felt in my entire life!” Patrick and Marissa nod along happily. They all lift their arms in a threeway high five. “Hands down, I already know this will be the highlight of my entire trip. I can’t believe we almost went kayaking.”

Marissa scrunches up her nose. “Kayaking is for babies.” 

“What do we say about a second round and then going for lunch?” Patrick suggests. They’re all on board for that plan, scurrying to get their equipment back in place before Patrick begins his second climb. 

After a hearty meal on the patio of one of the beachside restaurants, Patrick's energy slows down a considerable amount. The adrenaline rush had lasted him through to mid afternoon, at which point his body started aching and he nudged his friends in the direction of sustenance.

Not wanting to push himself into any more physical activity so soon after eating, he suggests they take a gentle stroll down the beach.

"A gentle stroll eh?" Marissa asks, eyebrows quirking mischievously. "That sounds lovely, why don't you two go ahead without me?"

"If you two have other evening plans-" Patrick begins, back tracking.

"Oh no, Geoff loves gentle strolls," she smiles towards Geoff. "Weren't you just telling me that, Geoff?"

"Um, yes?" After a nudge in the gut, courtesy of Marissa's elbow, Geoff turns to Patrick and nods. "Yes, I totally do. I'm down to walk with you."

Patrick smiles. He gets the idea that Marissa is still trying to push for them to end up together, he's not completely clueless. The only thing he's worried about is giving Geoff the wrong idea. Patrick is interested in seeing where things may end up going, but if Geoff is looking for any type of serious relationship, he won't find it with Patrick.

"Sorry Patrick, I'd love to continue with you guys but I promised my sister I'd spend the evening with her," Marissa leans in for a goodbye hug. "I'll catch you guys later?"

They nod and wish her a goodnight. The two of them head down the stairs of the patio in the direction of the beach. Once they hit the sand, they take off their shoes and shove them in their backpacks. The weather is much nicer than it was in the morning. The sun isn't as high up as it was, the heat isn't as stuffy. The ocean breeze reaches them and Patrick basks in the way it cards through his hair.

“So, today was nice,” Geoff starts. 

“It was. I’d never done anything like that before, it feels incredibly freeing.” 

“You’ve gotta try skydiving. It’s like what we did today, but on crack.” 

Patrick laughs, thinking about David’s reaction if Patrick ever suggested putting himself in unnecessary danger just for the thrill. “I don’t know, feels a little extreme to me.”

“Oh, come on,” he reaches up and pats a hand on Patrick’s shoulder. It lingers for a moment as he makes his point. “Skydiving is on everyone’s bucket list.”

“Not mine, I don’t even have one,” Patrick shrugs. “I’ve already done everything I’ve wanted to do.” 

He thinks back to a time when his bucket list consisted of getting married, having kids and growing old. While his life hasn’t exactly veered off in the opposite direction to that, he has more or less come to terms with living it authentically as it happens. No point in carrying a mental list of expectations that may or may not be reached. 

Geoff shrugs. “That’s fair, honestly. I chose to go skydiving at a time in my life when I thought I had nothing. I needed to do something to jumpstart me, if that makes sense.” 

“It does. I once left my job, fiancé and home town behind in an attempt to start a new life.”

He looks over at Patrick, a little surprised. “Wow. I didn’t realize we had so much in common.”

Patrick shrugs, not as surprised. “We all go through the same notions in life. We all want to be happy and find good company.”

“You give really good advice, you know? I could tell Marissa felt infinitely better after talking to you out there.” 

“Nah, it was probably just the dive.” 

“Let’s compromise and say it was a bit of both,” Geoff’s smile is so gentle, Patrick is a little taken aback. He points to a thick log on the sand by the shoreline. “Want to sit for a bit? My back is killing me.” 

They walk up, moaning and groaning about their backpacks as they slip them off their shoulders and seat themselves side by side. 

Patrick takes the silent moment to drink him in. The sunshine is less crisp as it filters through some greenery next to them, it applies a nice glow to his face. Sitting this close next to him, he can allow himself to sneak a peek at his lips. They’re full, just like every other part of his body. He considers for a moment, like he did by the rocks, whether it would be a good idea to kiss him. Whether it would be nice and light hearted, or lead to confusion and miscommunication. 

Geoff continues their conversation, “So, have you got any plans for the rest of th-”

One of Patrick’s hands reaches up to rest on Geoff’s neck. It surprises Patrick equally as much as it does his friend. It stops him from continuing his question, head immediately swinging to the side to watch out for Patrick’s next move. 

Patrick’s heart beats fast and loud against his ribcage. He’s in it now. He’s making the move. He can’t back away and say ‘Oh sorry, my hand slipped, I didn’t actually mean to come on to you so hard.’

He leans in, tilting his head in a clear indication of his intentions. He leaves enough room for Geoff to turn away, to stop this from happening if he’s not ready. But what he does is shut his eyes and close the distance between them. When their lips meet, all of Patrick’s hesitance is thrown out the window. 

Lips, lips, lips. Soft lips. Different lips. He’s not used to the way they fit with his. They move together gently at first, but quickly it turns into a deeper fight for dominance. Patrick wins, his hand gives him the leverage he needs to tilt Geoff’s head just so. He parts his lips and let’s his tongue brush across Geoff’s top lip. 

It’s soft, and warm. The motion sends a jolt down into Patrick’s belly. The feeling begins to overwhelm him. They part slightly, taking in quick and shallow breaths. 

A moan from Geoff has Patrick’s eyes flinging opening. He’s got his hands in mid air between them, flexing. “Can I kiss you back?” 

“Yea-” It’s barely out of Patrick’s mouth before Geoff grabs his face in both hands and tilts him as he pleases.

The way Geoff kisses is completely, fascinatingly, different from David. He grips Patrick’s face in a way that says ‘I’m putting you here, don’t move’. His hands slide ever so slowly down his jaw, to his neck, as his tongue dives into Patrick’s mouth.

The air between them is heated for several minutes as Geoff asserts dominance on Patrick’s lips until they can no longer breathe. They break apart with a gasp, foreheads resting against one another.

"I didn't think you would do that," Geoff breathes out on an exhale.

"Oh," Patrick licks his lips nervously, worried he was a little too forward.

"No, no, it's just... I was convinced I would have to make the first move. I was trying to gauge when the best time would be to do that."

"Well, why didn't you?"

"You didn't exactly give me a lot of signals."

Patrick laughs, pulling further away to settle in a comfortable seating position. "I didn't want to send the wrong signals. I'm not exactly..." Patrick struggles to avoid the words ‘single’ or ‘available’. "I'm not exactly looking for something serious."

"Thank god, me neither. The sky diving thing? That actually happened recently when I'd just gotten out of a bad relationship. It's part of the reason I'm on this cruise, I kinda just wanted to flirt with a bunch of strangers without the strings attached." He brings a hand to Patrick's nearest thigh and massages it gently.

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“Better than you can imagine,” a casual smirk that Patrick has already gotten accustomed to plays across his face. His hand slides up his thigh suggestively. “What do you say we head back to my room? We can see where the rest of the night takes us.”

The heat in Patrick’s belly intensified. He’d love nothing more than to chase it. Feel it everywhere. Make sure it overtakes all of Geoff's senses as much as it does to his own.

But he and David have an agreement. Kissing had been explicitly stated to be okay on this trip, which is why Patrick felt so comfortable exploring his attraction to his new friend. But anything more than that is a danger zone. Going to someone’s room is not an option. 

He must’ve hesitated for too long because Geoff’s hand retreats. “It’s fine if you don’t want to, I don’t want to force you into anything you’re not ready for.”

“It’s okay, I don’t feel forced. It’s just that… I want to explore more with you, I really do. But it’s a little more complicated than that.” 

“Oh?” He can see the questions play across his face. His eyebrows bunch up in something akin to confusion or worry. Maybe a mix of both. Patrick decides he owes him an honest explanation at this point. Honesty is the best policy, and all that.

“So, I’m actually not completely, totally, single…”

Geoff tilts his head, calculating. “I’m sorry, are we not on a singles cruise right now?” 

Well, he’s not wrong. All signs would lead any sane person to believe that Patrick is indeed on this trip alone. David and him had gone to great lengths to make sure their single status was unquestionable. His fingers fidget for a moment with his ring finger, conscious of the tiny divot in his skin years of wearing the ring had left behind. It dawns on him that there’s no way of really sugar coating it. Trying to filter the truth would only confuse Geoff even further. 

“I’m married,” he decides to just rip off the bandaid and deal with the aftermath. 

Geoff’s brows fly up, shock written all over his face. 

“Uh, yea. I have a husband,” he clarifies quickly, not wanting him to think for a single second that he’s some closeted guy who has a wife and kids back home. He wasn’t there, after all, when Patrick had briefly mentioned his coming out story to Marissa by the cliff. 

“You have a husband,” Geoff repeats, making sure he got it right.

“I do. He’s actually on the trip with us.” 

His shock turns into worry all of a sudden, darting his eyes left and right as if looking for someone to bust him in the middle of a crime. 

“Oh, we’re not keeping things from each other. I’m not sneaking around with you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

Geoff blinks, looking back at Patrick. “Are you in an open relationship?” 

“Not exactly. We have an agreement for this trip.”

He nods, continuing to process the information Patrick is giving him one piece at a time. “Right so… you’re fooling around for the duration of this trip. But otherwise you’re in a closed healthy relationship?” 

“Exactly. We’re looking for someone.” 

At this point Geoff’s frown breaks and a smile starts to form on his face, “Someone?”

Patrick nods, making a face. He tries to communicate ‘we’re looking for someone to have a threesome with’ without actually voicing the words. 

“Are you looking for someone to have a threesome with?”

Patrick groans, throwing his head back. He covers his face with both hands, embarrassed. 

Geoff begins to laugh more heartily, enjoying himself way too much for Patrick’s liking. 

“I know, I know it’s weird but-”

Geoff cuts him off. “Weird? It’s not weird at all!” 

“Then what?” 

He lifts a leg and swings it over the log, setting himself in a straddle position. He faces Patrick directly with an earnest look. “It's just, from the minute we started chatting, I felt a raw pull towards you. And it wasn’t just because you’re an incredibly kind friend to have around.” 

Patrick takes in a deep breath, feeling out of his depth now that all cards are on the table and the fate of this conversation is in Geoff’s hands.

Geoff clears his throat and lowers his voice. “I've spent all day thinking about doing dirty things to you.”

The sharp turn of the conversation almost gives him whiplash. Heat previously pooled in the center of his chest travels down to his groin at record speed. He immediately curls his legs, bringing them into a crouch position in an attempt to keep a barrier between his growing erection and Geoff’s line of sight. 

“I’ve spent all day compartmentalizing that as one of my fantasies. You know, the untouchable ones that you play out in your head with no intention of bringing to life? Because you, Patrick, are a real proper guy. And, proper guys aren’t usually open to the things I think about doing to them in my head.” 

Patrick is going to be in a lot of trouble if his erection keeps reacting to Geoff’s voice like that. He bends himself forward, scratching a non-existent itch on his shin just for an excuse to curl up on himself and pray to god he starts turning invisible. 

Geoff laughs again, and coos. “Aww, there’s no need to be shy,” he whispers as one hand straightens him up again. The other hand grabs Patrick’s knee and pulls it towards him, opening him up for them both to see him straining against his shorts. Geoff’s hand slides down and rests on the inside of his thigh. 

Patrick whimpers. 

“But, as I was saying. Here you are. Completely defying all those assumptions I made about you. Admitting to me that you are, in fact, looking for someone to take you apart.”

That’s the last straw, Patrick breaks. “I think you’re already doing that,” he whispers. 

He huffs a short laugh, amused. “You haven’t seen nothin’ yet.” 

Geoff is the one to remove his hand from Patrick’s thigh. He pulls himself back at the exact moment that Patrick wants to say fuck it and dive deeper. Cold air replaces the warm hold.

He clears his throat and begins talking again in his casual tone. “God damn. You are one sexy being.” 

Patrick clears his throat as well, stretching his legs and willing his erection back into hiding. He’s flustered, a little ashamed at how fast he lost all sense of the outside world. All due to some deep-voiced sentences from a guy he met that morning. 

“So, uh- are we- is that… um,” Patrick stutters. 

“Are you officially asking me if I would have a threesome with you and your husband?”

Patrick nods. 

“I’d be honoured, honestly. To meet the man that gets to call you his and show you both a good time.” 

Patrick ducks his head, happy to hear this answer from this incredibly attractive man. They exchange a couple of goofy smiles. Patrick wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he might have a butterfly or two running around in his belly. To think that this conversation actually went better than he’d expected. That Geoff opened up to the idea immediately and went so far as to tease Patrick a little. 

Oh, and Patrick feels teased. He couldn’t imagine it at first, desiring someone other than David. His husband. The love of his life. Heck, even when he was single, he was never the type to find himself caught up in sexual tension with someone he didn’t have feelings for. Not like how his friends used to go on and on about. 

Regardless, today went well. David will be excited to hear about this. Right, David! He’s gotta tell David everything that’s happened. He briefly wonders what the rest of the week will hold. They’ve only been on the trip for a little bit over a day and already so much has transpired. 

Seeing Patrick get caught up in his own thoughts and shift away from the moment they had, Geoff reckons their time together is over. He says as much as he encourages Patrick to pick up his bag and put on his shoes before guiding them back in the direction of the ship. 

Chapter Text

Ding. Ding. Ding. 

David groans and rolls over in bed, burying his face into the pillow dramatically. 

“Good morning, good morning, good morning, honorary Caribbean passengers…”

He moans into the pillow and without lifting his head he grabs another one and shoves it on top, sandwiching himself inside. He tries to drown out the obnoxious message from the captain. He’s not in any way shape or form happy to be woken up from his slumber at this ungodly hour. 

The pillow does very little to filter out the noise so he grumbles and sits up in bed. If he has to wait the message out before he can snooze, he will. He makes a trip to the washroom quickly, checking his phone along the way. 

Of course, Patrick is already up. There’s a sweet good morning text waiting for David. He replies lazily as he brushes his teeth. 

His head throbs aggressively, a result of too many cocktails and loud music from the day before. Mentally cursing the cheery good morning announcement for waking him up prematurely before his hangover can heal, he gulps down an entire glass of water and dives back into bed, planning on sleeping the morning away.

The ship is back at sea today, so there won’t be opportunities to experience any land activities. Time to pull out those flyers and see what kind of services and events are held in the common areas of the ship. 

There’s an Intro to Ballroom class hosted in one of the large rooms on the bottom floor of the ship. David makes his way down with a map in one hand and his gym bag in the other. He’s already in his activewear, of course, but it is an hour long class so he’s bound to need a water bottle and at least two towels. One for using throughout and the other for the walk back to his room. 

He thinks he’s arriving early, with six minutes to spare, but as he enters the room he finds several people already inside in various positions ranging from stretched out on the floor to standing around mingling. By the door is a woman holding a small wicker basket which contains a pile of small pieces of paper. 

“Welcome to dance! Please pick one,” she extends the basket towards David, “I’m Bianca, and I’ll be your instructor today. Help yourself to an empty area along the wall and start stretching. We’ll begin shortly.” 

“Thank you," he reaches forward and grabs one of the papers. He makes note of a simple capital letter B scrawled in black pen and pockets it. Looking around, he spots an empty area near the back of the room and makes his way over. Pretty much instantly he gets a better look at the man stretching nearby. 

Patrick. 

It’s Patrick. 

Patrick is in a dance class!

David wants to skip over and say something witty but he can see that his husband is chatting up a lovely looking woman and he doesn’t want to blow their cover. He deliberately walks up at a slow pace, sets his bag down and clears his throat as inconspicuously as possible.  

Patrick’s eyes are drawn to him immediately. They light up for a moment and along comes a slight friendly smile before he directs his attention back to his new friend. 

That’s okay. David can do this. He loves a good slow burn romance. This is not that different. David starts moving his neck around in slow motions, balancing on one foot while he stretches the opposite leg behind him. He takes a look around the room as he alternates. 

There’s about ten to twelve people around, all sorts of experience levels are evident. There’s a slim looking girl with a blond pixie cut who seems like this is not her first dance class. She has a leg stretched out on the wall-mounted barre as she talks to another guy. He has a bigger build than David, seems to be taller too. Based on what he’s wearing - swim trunks and a loose tank top - he looks like he was just dragged along by this girl last minute. 

A group of people forgo stretching and instead stand by the front, chatting with the instructor. 

“Excuse me, you look very familiar. Have we met?” 

David's body melts like butter at the close proximity of his favourite voice in the world. He stands up straight and turns around to find a confident looking smile on Patrick’s face. “Um, I don’t believe so. You might’ve seen me around the ship, perhaps?” 

Patrick’s grin is bright and captivating, “Well, I’m glad I can finally introduce myself," he extends his hand forward. “I’m Patrick.” 

David bites his lips to prevent a stupid smile from breaking out. He looks around, a little worried about being found out for some unknown reason. “David. Nice to meet you, Patrick," the smile makes an appearance despite his best efforts.

They shake hands. “Likewise," if they hadn’t already been married for literal years and together for a few more, David would be a blushing, stuttering, blubbering mess right now. Patrick has the kindest most welcoming eyes, meeting him for the first time feels like coming home. 

David wants to make conversation, to ask him if he’s been to a dance class before. To ask him how he’s finding the cruise so far. Any small talk to get him to continue smiling at him. But in that moment the instructor shuts the door as she begins to address the group. 

The structure of the class doesn’t seem too challenging. They’re told they will get twenty minutes to learn and practice basic footwork and movement techniques individually before they will be paired into random pairs for the rest of the hour. Everyone spreads out across the room and of course David lingers in the back, not too fond of other people’s eyes on him. 

“The first pattern we will learn today is called the box step. Some of you may otherwise know it as the waltz…” Bianca continues on with a demonstration.

David vaguely remembers these terms from some junior classes he and Alexis took when they were enrolled in a private elementary school. But all that he’d once learned seems to have escaped him, so he puts his head in the game and learns.

“And a count two, three, four step, six, seven eight!” David has no idea what she’s counting but his feet somehow follow the beat of her fingers snapping and he’s not doing too bad for a first time at this. 

“I know you’ll be tempted to look around at other groups. Or even down at your feet. But in the art of Ballroom, posture is everything. Spine stretched. Neck straight. Eyes forward.”

Five minutes in, Bianca puts on music and now they have to actually move on beat. That’s when everyone erupts in laughter and exasperated apologies because they start bumping into one another. David steps forward instead of right one time, throwing the guy in swim trunks off his balance. 

“You alright there, buddy?”

David was, until he was called buddy. “Fine, thanks," he mutters and tries again. 

When David actually gets it right, someone else bumps into him and it just all requires a lot more patience than he brought with him. He almost wishes he could make a mistake near Patrick so they could fall into each other. No, actually, he fully wishes this. That’s what he’s thinking about until Bianca calls their attention again. 

“Now, we will learn about the dynamic between a leader and their follower.” 

Oh god, it’ll only get harder from here. 

By the time the twenty minutes are up, David thinks they’re not nearly as prepared as they should be. Bianca asks them to pull up their pieces of paper from earlier, indicating that everyone is either in group A or group B.  

Curious, David sneaks a look over at Patrick who’s already looking at him with his paper held up. David shows his as well, and they exchange shy smiles with one another. Patrick’s paper says A.  

Group A lines up shoulder to shoulder on one side of the room while group B does the same on the other side. The two equal groups are facing each other so that each dancer in the first group has a corresponding partner in the second.

“So!” Bianca claps once. “The person standing in front of you will be your first partner. For the first round, group A will be the leader of the dance. He or she will follow the leading steps I’ve taught.”

David looks ahead to his first partner and after a double take, he realizes it’s Maggie. From his first night on the ship. It seems like she recognizes him as well because she gives him a knowing wink.

Bianca keeps talking, so he tunes in again. “Don’t forget to always be counting and always support your follower. Remember, it’s all about that body language, so don’t be afraid to let your arms wrap around your partner in an intimate embrace. Let’s get into position.” 

David and Maggie step towards each other. She holds her arms out appropriately and while David is noticeably taller than her, they fit together nicely. 

“Hey there," she says. 

“Hello,” David smiles, “I thought you were here on business.”

“Well, I’m not a crew member. I do get breaks between my assigned classes. During which I decide to put myself in my clients’ shoes in order to maintain maximum relatability," she says this with a straight face save for a twinkle of a smile in her eyes. 

“Wow, sounds like you take your job very seriously," David teases. 

Before they can carry on, Bianca rattles off more instructions. “Good job, everyone! We’re off to a good start. Once the first song comes to an end, we will shift partners in a clockwise rotation around the room. At which point group B becomes the leader and group A becomes the follower. Any questions?” 

Murmurs resound across the room, people indicating that they understand and are ready to go. 

And then the music starts. 

The first few steps, of course, are tricky to get in sync with a partner. It takes David a few seconds to let Maggie lead the way but eventually, they have a good rhythm. 

“You’re a little too good at this. I thought this class was for beginners.” 

Maggie laughs, “Okay don’t tell anyone, but I might have taken this exact class the last time I was on this trip. But it was only that one time, I’d hardly call that experience.”

David shakes his head, pretending to chastise her. “Well, your secret is safe with me. As long as you promise not to upstage me.” 

“I promise. I’ll do you one better, how about a free consultation?”

“What do you mean?” 

“I noticed your not so secret crush from the other day is also in this class. You said hello?” She gestures with a nod of her head to the other side of the room. 

David looks over and sees Patrick dancing with the guy in swim shorts. It’s quite the comical image, actually, because he’s sure this guy is over six feet tall and Patrick is the one leading. 

“Yea we uh, introduced ourselves," David says. His eyelids twitch and he bites his lips nervously, he’s a terrible liar. But he can stick with half truths. 

“That’s good, that’s a great first step.” 

David looks over at Patrick again, checking out his progress. He seems to have caught onto the choreography pretty well. Although, the steps all blend into each other and the two men are a little uncomfortably far apart in their stance. 

According to Bianca, that’s a no-no.

“If it helps, he looks at you that way too.” 

“What way?”

“The way you’re checking him out right now," she laughs. “I saw the same look in his eyes as you two shook hands.” 

Ah, yes. The deeply in love look. The helplessly obsessed look. The one everyone back home was raving about as they browsed through their wedding photo album and pointed at the love struck dummies getting married to each other in awe. 

David smiles. He’s not blushing, blushing is for Patrick and his pale skin. 

“Well, um. He seems like a great guy. I think I’ll make a move.”

“Oh good! That’s what I just love to hear.”

God, how did he accidentally acquire such an invested real life fangirl within forty eight hours of being in a secret relationship with his own husband?

“Thank you. And I really appreciate the helpful tips, Maggie, but I think I got this from here," David is as gentle as possible, trying to convey that he appreciates her support, but that he doesn’t exactly need the help at the moment. 

“Okay, you got it," she lifts her hands up from where they’re connected and holds them up in the air in a surrendering motion. They continue moving but the separation causes them to fall off beat. “I was just trying to do my part, but you’ve said the word. I’ll back off.”

“Tha- oof-” a pair of dancers bump into David’s back, knocking the breath right out of him.

“Oh, so sorry!” Maggie says to them frantically. She wraps her arms around David again and they continue along their path. “Sorry,” she repeats to David with a grimace. “Guess these hand placements really do matter, huh.”

“Uh, yeah! We didn’t spend twenty minutes practicing alone for no reason," David points out as they continue waltzing around the room. 

The first song quickly comes to an end and everyone intuitively switches to their next partner. David is paired up with the pixie-cut-girl from earlier. 

Her eyes are as wide as saucers as she slides up to him. “Oh thank god, I thought that song was never going to end! Leading is definitely not for me.” 

“And you think it’s for me?!” 

“Well, I don’t know you at all so you might not be good either. But I was terrible!” 

David wraps his right arm around her as the song starts in the background. Really, all he wants to do is focus on the dance and get better at it, but all these ladies seem to want to do is chatter on and on. “You’ve gotta give yourself a little more credit than that. You’re still learning.” 

“Oh you didn’t see me. I was stepping all over that guy’s toes. And he was, like, so hot. I was gonna ask him out after class but I’m way too embarrassed now.” 

David is having trouble pinning this girl to a stereotype. She’s extremely pretty but her voice carries super loud. She’s complaining about fucking up her chances with the hot guy next to them, but there’s a permanent toothy smile on her face. 

He thinks she might be the exact opposite of him. God knows if that’s a good or bad thing. 

“Of course, that didn’t help at all with my whole bunion situation.” 

That shakes David right out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry, what?”

“My bunions? I have a few of them actually. I was just saying how stepping on his feet was really a lose-lose situation for me.” 

“That sounds absolutely disgusting. And painful.” 

“They’re actually not painful at all, for the most part. I can show you later if you’re interes-”

“No. I mean- no thanks. No. That’s not necessary!” Friends. Stay friendly. These strangers are still humans and you don’t want to erase all the good person deeds you’ve accomplished. 

She shrugs, happily distracted by the rest of their dance. As it begins to come to an end, she says to him, “Well this was fun, thanks for the dance, and hearing my chatter. You were a great leader," her smile is wide and bright.

“Thank you, I like to say I’m a fast learner.” 

“I’ll see you later…” 

“David. And you are?” 

They step apart and shake hands politely. “I’m Alexis.”

“Oh god," he blurts out, face scrunching up in horror. He pulls away from her, arms retracting back to his body defensively.

Her eyes widen comically. “Excise me? Wow, after all that I’ve said to you, my name is what grosses you out?” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean- it’s just that my sister’s name is also Alexis. And now I can’t unsee her… in you," he waves his hands around vaguely in her direction.

The smile is back on Alexis’ - ew - face as she laughs at him and lets herself get pushed away by the rotation of the group. 

David sighs heavily, disturbed, before he turns to his next partner. He’s back to following again so he allows his new partner to take his hand and place the other on his back. His partner is a guy this time, taller than David by a smidge and very slim. 

They lock eyes and nod courteously, but neither of them feels the urge to chat. They focus on their steps. David let the other two ladies distract him quite a bit. And, while his moves haven’t been that bad, he wants to see how he can improve. 

He aims to make his movements sharper. More predictable. More elegant. All in one. He occasionally needs to look down at his feet, correcting himself mentally and taking note of what his partner is doing well that he can take with him when he leads next. 

“Ah ah ah, eyes up please," Bianca taps David’s shoulder as he moves but doesn’t pull them aside, thank god. He takes the hint and lifts his head back up.

He hears a snicker from nearby and turns to see Patrick laughing at him. He’s partnered with a girl this time, the same one he’d been talking to before class started. 

The pairs have been shifting enough that Patrick is now two songs away from David. And they’re in opposite groups, so if they get to continue for two more rounds, he’ll be partnered up with Patrick. He closes his eyes and imagines what that would be like. Arms around each other. Posture straight. Learning something new together. It’s a very pleasant thought. And David is definitely, definitely heating up. From all the dancing, of course. 

That’s more or less how the next song goes as well. David is leading a much shorter man with a broad set of shoulders. David slips his arms around him hesitantly, wishing for a second that he was leading a girl again for the ease of it. But then he kicks himself internally, thinking of course he’d need to perfect his guy on guy technique. He’ll need it to impress Patrick soon! 

They’re only one song away from each other. 

Before David can even entertain the idea of looking over to see where he’s at, Bianca pops up out of nowhere, “Oh, no no no, sweetheart, you are too tight, too tense, tsk tsk...” she lands her hands on David’s shoulders and applies pressure, forcing him to straighten his spine and move slightly closer to his partner. 

“You are the lead, you must take your lover into an embrace,” she circles them, gliding her fingers across their bodies, pausing where they connect. “Closer,” 

David winces, tightening his grip around his partner without actually moving. 

“Closer.”

“That’s okay, honey. For the next three minutes consider us not strangers, but secret lovers...” the man in David’s arms speaks for the first time, an incredibly thick French accent catches him off guard. “Now,” he shoves David forward, landing their chests together in one movement. “Treat me like one of your lovers,” he whispers in David’s ear. 

“Oh,” is all David can say. He steps this way and that, trying to think back in his head and remember what count they’re on. 

Bianca claps next to them, elated, “Fantastic!” She cries out happily as they waltz away from her. 

“You’re getting the hang of this,” David’s partner drawls. 

“Um, thank you, it uh,” he shakes his head, uncomfortable under the praise, “it takes two, as they say.” 

“To tango.”

“What?”

“It takes two to tango, is the saying, I believe. But what do I know, English is only my third language,” he smirks. 

“Uh, okay that is still a dance. I’m sure it applies here.” 

The man shrugs but lets it go. “Want to try a twirl?”

“No! Oh, not a chance.” 

“Oh please, what does a man have to do to be twirled by a handsome stud like you?” 

David balks, completely taken aback by his dance partner that seems to be shamelessly flirting with him. Him and his French ways. Damn it, it might be working. “Well, only if you insist.” 

He opens his mouth to voice his gratitude but David cuts him off. 

“And only once.”

His partner smiles anyway, happy to comply. David tunes back into the song, he counts the last three steps… six, seven, eight… and prepares to spin him at one. 

He lets his left arm slip away while the right lifts up. They curl their fingers around each other loosely, David feels like everything is happening in slow motion. 

Just as he looks over his partners head mid spin, he locks eyes with Patrick. He’s close, super close. Patrick and his partner are not even a foot away from David. He can see into his eyes clearly. They’re somehow both communicating in their secret language and yet unable to reach each other. 

David wants to reach out and spin Patrick. Feel his fingers again. 

The moment is broken when David’s twirl is complete and his partner is close again, breathless. “Wow, that was… youthful.” 

“That’s an interesting choice of words.”

“You can feel it too, I can see it in your smile.”

David pauses, not sure what trick this guy is trying to pull. But then he realizes the faint ache in his cheeks are a sign of his own stupid grin again. If it aches that much it must’ve been there for a while…

He’s… having fun. David is having a lot of fun. More fun than he’d expected, really, as he climbed down the stairs of the cruise ship to get here. 

Once their song comes to an end, everyone pulls away from their partners. David’s French lover takes his hand in his own and places a soft kiss to his knuckles. “It’s been a pleasure, honey, I hope to see you around.”

David’s heart skips a beat, flattered. “Thank you, uh, see you around…” 

The class shifts and transitions. David turns and finds Patrick moving towards him, eyes hot with focus and a hunger he’s very intimately familiar with.

“Unfortunately, that brings us to the end of our class,” comes complete and utter disasterous news from Bianca. David’s heart sinks. 

Patrick also stops in his tracks, looking like his favourite spreadsheet system has become defunct. 

“It has been lovely teaching you folks for the past hour, thank you all,” Bianca continues. “I hope you were able to learn something from my class. Remember, if you feel you weren’t challenged enough, or would like to learn more, the intermediate class is happening tomorrow evening. Same time, same place. Hope to see you then!”  

People start scattering and collecting their items. Groups A and B are no longer distinguishable, shaking the trance out of David’s eyes. 

“That was fun,” Patrick says, approaching David anyway. 

“It was. Although, I think it was about to get much more fun,” David smirks. 

“You think so?”

“Oh, I know so. It was practically a cliffhanger.” 

“I think leaving you wanting more is actually part of the romance.”

David flutters his eyes closed, quickly trying to reach for any clever response. He hates it when Patrick gets the last word in. “I mean, I guess, sure…”

“I really wanted to dance with you, David.”

Biting his bottom lip, David attempts to suppress his blush. “Me too. Who knows, maybe I’ll bump into you at that intermediate class.”

“Oh man, I don’t think so. This has been great and all, but I think I’ve had enough dancing to last me a year.” 

“Hmm, a year brings us up to next year’s Valentine’s Eve… you think that would give us an excuse to try again?” 

Patrick nods, “I think so.”

“Well then, I’m looking forward to it.”

Chapter Text

Patrick wakes up ridiculously horny and sweaty. Which is strange because he always attributed any hardness beyond regular morning wood to the presence of David’s body next to him. Waking alone, he doesn’t expect anything more than a vague need to pee to encourage him to get out of bed and into the shower. Certainly not the raging hard on that kinda almost hurts the minute he comes to consciousness. 

He rolls onto his belly to press his cock lazily into the mattress. 

The bed is so soft and comfortable and cozy, he really doesn’t want to move a single muscle right now. He presses his hips into the mattress as his hands ever so slowly move from under his head to scout the spacious bed next to him, instinctively searching for David. Logically, in the back of his mind, he knows David isn’t in the bed with him. Unfortunately, his brain isn’t coherent enough to pass that message along to his hands. 

Groaning, Patrick succumbs to the ache and sends a hand down to appease the urge. 

“Jesus…” he whispers. He obviously had an idea of how hard he was but gripping himself in his hand makes it feel so… urgent.

Rubbing his face with his free hand, he shakes his head and rubs the sleep away as much as possible before bringing his thoughts back to David. Right, he reminds himself, David didn’t sleep in the same bed last night. Patrick's mind starts to wander, thinking of David spending his days and nights alone. When would be a sufficient enough time after they “first met” for them to start hanging out as if on a date with one another. 

Maybe they can skip all that and sneak into each other’s rooms for the rest of the trip. 

Anyway, he starts to accept the fact that he’s not getting any help with his predicament this morning. He shuffles around to kick off his pyjama pants and underwear. He’s too lazy to take off his shirt completely, but he does nudge it up his torso. The thing about jerking off, for Patrick, is that he can’t just get away with a tug and a rub and call it a day. He’s gotten too used to the feeling of David’s large heavy body on top of his. 

Patrick brings both hands to his chest, rubbing and pressing down simultaneously. 

In his previous life, jerking off used to be his primary method of getting off. After meeting and becoming intimate with David, however, it’s almost like he’s ruined him for anything less than another warm body next to him. Years of living together has spoiled him out of having to take care of himself from beginning to end.

He can’t complain though. Those years come with a slew of memories he routinely files away for this very scenario. His mind starts rifling through them leisurely. 

Laying down with David after a hard day’s work. Getting under the covers naked and tired. The out of this world feeling of David wrapping his arms around Patrick to scratch at his back, simultaneously aligning their bodies together. Patrick moaning into David’s neck as tension releases from him in waves. His knees bending to entwine their legs together, feeling David’s hardness against his thigh. 

He strangely loves, loves, loves this mood where they’re both too horny to sleep and yet too sleepy to fuck like rabbits. They take turns gyrating their hips, enjoying the feeling of their cocks rubbing against each other, no hands involved. Not chasing an orgasm, but something deeper. It brings their intimacy to a closer level each time. 

At this point, as he lays in bed alone, his cock twitches from its position on his lower abdomen. His hands are still roaming, enjoying the buzz. He lowers his dominant hand down to relieve some pressure, but doesn’t wrap it fully around his cock. He’s liking this, he doesn’t want it to end too soon. 

He thinks of the night after one of Alexis' New York parties, when their energy levels were soaring through the roof. They’d arrived back at their hotel room, sometime after midnight, high on the trailing buzz of music and alcohol. The thrill of not being home and lack of responsibilities the next morning spurring them on. They’d been so worked up they didn’t even take the time to strip before David literally shoved Patrick face first into the mattress and went to town. 

“Oh god…” The moan is ripped out of Patrick as he rolls himself onto his front side, gripping his hardness tightly now. He bends his knees slightly, arching his back and shoving a pillow to assist his ministrations. He’s trying to emulate the rush and feeling of that night as much as possible. 

Except, now he’s fucking into his hand more so than jerking off. It triggers a memory of the first time he fucked David on their honeymoon. It’s a fond memory. He keeps it locked in a shiny glass box in the back of his mind. He doesn’t go there often because when he does he usually busts within minutes. And he doesn’t want to get desensitized to that feeling. 

People can make fun of missionary style all they want, Patrick will proudly admit it’s his favourite way to fuck David. Like, ever. He’d have one of David’s legs hooked on his shoulder to access that delicious angle while he grips his other leg open with his hand. 

The control he has in this position is intoxicating, and he’s coming close to replicating it right now, in this very David-lacking bed. He keeps his eyes closed shut, maximizing the fantasy. 

He’d piston into his husband until he begged for a break, at which point Patrick would bend his neck to steal a filthy kiss. The minute David’s breathing evens out, he’d easily resume fucking into him like it’s not a huge efrort. 

It’s his favourite position for a reason. Ass and mouth accessible at the same time. 

Patrick adds a second pillow under his hips, searching for a higher level of resistance. He uses his non active hand to leverage himself up, gaining more strength to fuck into his fist at a faster rate. 

An orgasm has been building up deliciously for many minutes now. He can already feel his balls tightening up, he just needs that extra push. He lets his supportive arm collapse under him as he buries his face in the bed. The fantasy fading now, as he gives in to the pure physical urge to release. 

He jerks himself off at a speed that's almost painful for his arm, but he’ll deal with the consequences later. Simultaneously, he’s reaching down to add the slightest pressure around his balls as the tip of a finger slips down towards his ass. 

The fingertip pushes against his rim, pressing inside once, twice-

“Oh… fuck!” His whole body seizes up. He cums for what feels like minutes. Truthfully, it’s probably just a few seconds based on the three deep breaths he takes before completely going limp. 

His hands gently let go and flop to the side. He lays flat, unthinking. Floating. Melting. 

It really says something about David’s sleeping habits when he still hasn’t replied to Patrick’s good morning text by the time Patrick is ready to head out the door. Patrick managed to get up, strip the pillows of their cases and flip them inside out to minimize incriminating evidence, and take a long hot shower during which he conditioned his hair and exfoliated his body from head to toe. 

Patrick doesn’t mind, though. He does want his husband to enjoy their little trip. And if that means sleeping in every day, then so be it. He pats his pockets, ensuring his wallet and room key are on him, before heading off in the direction of breakfast. 

He’d barely plated two slices of french toast and an english muffin before his phone buzzed in his back pocket. He balances his tray in one hand and juice in another, debating between removing himself from the lineup to check his phone and waiting the extra few minutes it would take to reach the scrambled eggs. 

Oh, but the eggs have just been topped off, scrumptiously steaming. 

He decides to wait in line. It’ll only take a few extra minutes, and the text is probably just David finally waking up. 

After finding a seat, he sets his tray and drink down and pulls up his phone in one motion as he takes his seat. A single short message makes his heart drop and face crumple up in confusion. 

He can only assume David is in some type of distress but Patrick’s not really sure how to interpret the single word on its own. They’ve never really needed to use a safeword outside of bedtime shenanigans. 

Patrick stands up swiftly, picks up his food and starts walking. He’s not really sure yet where he’s going, but hopefully in the direction of David. He can’t hold everything and text at the same time, so he drops off his apple juice at one of the front tables. It’s still sealed, hopefully someone else can have it. He picks up his phone with his dominant hand and gets back to David. 

The sight of a disgruntled David when the door opens knocks the wind out of Patrick’s chest. He frowns, pushing his way inside to finally set down his breakfast tray on a flat surface before turning around to face him. He grabs David’s hands in his own and takes him in, worried. His hair isn’t yet coiffed. Sleep marks on his face indicate he’d been rolling around in bed up until the moment Patrick knocked on the door. 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong? Talk to me,” David had texted earlier that he may have cried, but Patrick doesn’t see traces of red rims or a puffed up under eye area. Hopefully that means it was just a frustrated tear or two this morning, not an outright pity session that kept him up all night. 

“I’m fine, I just- I didn’t want to get up. I- you weren’t here. I don’t know. It’s stupid…” David rambles on, shaking his head this way and that. He slides his hands from between Patrick’s and starts pacing. Except, there isn’t much room for a long stride so he decides to throw himself onto the bed instead. He finally shrugs, “I missed you.” 

It hits Patrick right in the gut. He’s been missing David too. It’s been a thought lingering in the back of his mind as he woke up and went to bed alone each day. It’s just that… he thought it was a small price he had to pay in order to be on this very luxurious very well deserved vacation. 

The thought that this week might have taken a more emotional toll on David than he’d been letting on… it makes his heart ache. He wishes he’d checked in with David sooner. 

“C’mere,” he sticks out a hand. 

David quirks an eyebrow but Patrick insists, reaching over and pulling him off the bed and onto his feet. 

He pulls David into a big bear hug. Their arms engulf each other, torsos lining up. He takes the opportunity to bury his face in David’s neck, whispering gently and close to his ear, “I missed you so much. It’s been hard going to sleep alone.”

David groans, “Oh my god, same!”

“And yesterday… I was happy we ran into each other at the dance class, but I wanted to hold you. So bad.” 

“The whole time I was just counting the songs in my head, waiting for our turn to pair up.” 

Patrick huffs, amused. He pulls a few inches away from their hug. “Let’s do it now.” 

“What, dance?” 

“Yea, dance!” Patrick let’s David go completely and steps back. He sends his left hand behind his back, crosses a foot in front of the other, and holds his right palm up for invitation. 

David smiles, looking uncharacteristically bashful. He lifts his hand but hesitates for a second before placing it. “Wait, why are you leading?” 

“Because I’m good at it?”

“I’m not so bad myself,”

“We can alternate.” 

Satisfied with that plan, David accepts Patrick’s extended hand and steps closer. His other hand lands on Patrick’s shoulder, who pulls him in by the waist until they stand chest to chest. 

“This is nice.” 

“Mhmm,” David nods. “That was the easy part, now we have to move.” 

The first step they take is obviously wrong because they immediately end up moving in different directions. “Wait, Bianca said the lead starts with their left foot. So you have to use your opposite foot?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.” 

“I’m pretty sure! How else do we mirror each other?” 

They give it another try, and another, and then another. Eventually, they’re moving around the small space of the room in something that can be classified as a circle. David’s smile is bright. He laughs every time a foot bumps into a shin. Their foreheads bump so often as they try to look down at their feet that they just give up and keep them together. 

Pressed against each other from head to hip, Patrick feels like they’re at home again. He’s happy he can do this for David. Bring a smile to his face and distract him from whatever sadness overtook him that morning. 

Once they have a good rhythm, they start chatting. “So, do you wanna tell me what got you all riled up this morning? It’s not like you to seclude yourself to your bed while on a cruise ship.”

He shrugs, “Like I said, I missed you, I guess, like- on a spiritual level.”

“Not to invalidate your feelings but… why not just text me? Or call me? We could have hung out, found an event to attend together.” 

David purses his lips, something clearly on his mind. “It’s stupid, I-”

“If you say stupid one more time I will literally overtake this ship and drive us back home. Vacation be damned.” 

“It’s… sail. Sail us back home.” 

“David!” 

“Okay fine! It’s just that… I kinda wish we had actual Valentine’s Day plans. Like, together. In a restaurant with dimmed lights and sappy music and all the things I would complain about. And-” he stops himself. 

“And what?” Patrick urges. 

“It’s silly, nevermind,” Patrick rolls his eyes because David might have avoided saying ‘stupid’ but he will find replacements to channel his insecurity regardless. 

“David. Even if it’s silly, I want to know.”

“This morning when I woke up I forgot for a second. Where we were. I thought I smelled flowers, it must've been the scented towels or something, but for a second I thought you were coming in with fresh flowers.”

“You hate it when I buy you flowers…”

“Yes, I know, but that doesn’t stop you from doing it.”

Patrick laughs. “So let me see if I understand this correctly. I bring you flowers. You moan and groan about them being cheesy and unnecessary. The next time a special occasion comes around I ignore your wishes and buy you flowers anyway because you love to hate them?”

“Yes. That is exactly how we operate and I would like to keep it that way.”

“David, if I’d known you love the flowers so much, I would have found more excuses.”

“Not love the flowers, love to hate the flowers. Please note the difference.”

“Okay, David.”

They separate for a moment, David walks over to his phone and brings up a song to dance to, lightening the mood significantly. He walks back and offers his hand to Patrick, taking the lead this time. “You mean you haven’t been aware of this dynamic this entire time?”

“Well, I guess I just… didn’t think of it so consciously. I knew I loved giving you flowers. Something tangible to represent how much I appreciate you. Ever since we took that love languages quiz, I’ve been trying to be mindful of keeping a balance in our relationship.” 

David nods along. “With your acts of service and my words of affirmation, I can see why you’d want to add a little fuel to gift giving.”

Patrick’s hand slides up and down David’s arm ever so slowly and ever so gently, a silent ode to physical touch as a love language. He can already tell David’s feeling much better than when he’d arrived. His shoulders aren’t tensed up. They’re poised for the dance, but comfortable in their movements. “Yes, exactly.”

“Although, I wouldn’t exactly complain about a custom made bracelet or two.” 

“David, we’ve been over this,” Patrick warns, “fishing for gifts is not correct. Your words, not mine.” 

David squeezes his eyes, throwing his head back. “You’re right, you’re right,” he leads them even closer together and places a small kiss on Patrick’s lips.

Their legs get tangled up in their waltz. Instead of restarting the count, they slow down completely. David’s hand lets go of Patrick’s and reaches for his chin. He continues speaking with a quieter voice. “I love the flowers,” he places a second kiss on his jaw. “I want the flowers,” another on his neck. “I want to complain about them as I put them in a vase… where they’ll survive for seven to ten days before they shrivel away...”

Patrick stares at the opposite wall, feeling heat in his stomach start to form. He doesn’t say anything, letting David get lost in the fantasy.

“I’d save one, and hide it until it’s completely dried up. Only to surprise you with it in a frame, a couple of months later on your birthday. And you’d realize how sappy I am on the inside and we’ll… I don’t know, ride off into the sunset or something.”

After David has finished peppering kisses all over Patrick’s neck, he stands up straight. Only to find Patrick staring at him; mouth open, eyes wide. 

“What? It’s silly. I know, we’re already married so it’s kind of a counter intuitive fantasy.”

“No,” is all Patrick says before he brings David in for a real kiss. 

His parted lips find David’s, already warm and red and eager for more. He takes David’s bottom lip between his own, runs a tongue gently across. The small muffled sound David lets out wouldn’t have been audible if it weren’t for Patick’s highly trained ears. 

They part, taking a breath, but stay close. “It’s not silly. I was just thinking about how stupidly I fall in love with you every single day. About how I know you’re the right person for me to spend the rest of my life with. Because getting married wasn't even the height of our relationship. It’s this feeling in my chest right now. The one that grows every time you open up to me. I’m so proud of you, David.”

David’s purses his lips, tilts his head, “For admitting I like flowers?” 

“For breaking down the walls you used to have up. To make people believe you don’t like flowers. You continue to break them down with your bare hands. They’re no match for you. I’m just honoured to be the person you trust to protect you, now.”

David’s eyes start to well up with tears, “Okay, I know I admitted I’m secretly a little cheesy, but this is... a lot.” 

“I don’t care. I love you. You love me. And every day that love grows. Even if it’s in the form of a new affinity for flowers. If it’s silly, then I’m right there being silly with you.”

A small gasp escapes David. He stops himself from saying anything else, probably to avoid an outright sob. Patrick shakes his head, “Crap, I didn’t mean to make you cry again,” he reaches up and gently wipes away at a couple of stray tears.

“I’m not crying! I just… god, I feel so happy right now.” 

Patrick reaches a hand to his back pocket. He pulls back from David a little, creating a small space between them where he procures his wedding ring from his wallet. “Would you do the honours? Again?”

“God, you’re ridiculous.” 

If it weren’t for the tears and snot running down David’s face, he’d think he meant it. But it speaks to David’s own ridiculousness, how much he likes this tiny little act. He slips the band onto Patrick’s ring finger gently. 

Patrick lays his left hand on his husband’s chest, right over his heart. Next to his own ring now visible as David untucks it from his shirt. 

“What if someone sees?” 

“It’s fine, I’ll take it off later. Just for today, I want us to be us again.  

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, I love you.” 

Some time later, David’s playlist comes to an end. Their waltz had morphed into a slow dance which turned into a very long hug. It all finally comes to an end as they separate. 

“So uh, I believe you walked in here with some food?” 

“I don’t even know what’s on that tray, I came running as soon as I got your text.” 

David picks up the tray and places it on the middle of the bed. He climbs up, sits cross legged, and motions for Patrick to join him. There isn’t any room on the twin bed for them to sit side by side so Patrick settles himself on the other side of the tray, facing David. 

“This is hardly enough food for one person, but I’m feeling generous so I’ll let you share with me,” David says as he takes stock of the few slices of french toast, english muffins, and unopened packets of strawberry jam. 

“I’m pretty sure this was my tray. You don’t even like eggs when they get cold.” 

David picks up a plastic fork and stuffs a mouthful of eggs into his mouth just to prove Patrick wrong. “I do when I haven’t eaten in over twelve hours.” 

All Patrick can do is laugh along and dig in as well. They do their best to split whatever is left of the breakfast evenly. “So how are you enjoying the trip so far? Did you end up exploring the island?” 

“If by exploring the island you mean getting tipsy off cocktails by the beach with my new friends, then yea,” 

Patrick eyebrows rise in surprise, “Wow, who are you and what have you done to my husband?”

David scoffs and tosses a breadcrumb at his face.

“It’s not like you to make friends with strangers.” 

“Honestly, I’m impressed,” David replies as he gets up to grab two water bottles from the mini fridge in the corner. He passes one to Patrick and sits back down. “They were, like, twenty five year old school girls.” 

“And?” 

“And they wanted to hang out with me. As much as my skincare regime would like to say otherwise, I definitely didn’t fool them into thinking I was one of them.”

“Are you sure they weren’t just using you for your money?” Patrick teases. 

“Oh they definitely were. But it wasn’t that. Let’s just say, I’m a lot more fun than I give myself credit for.” 

“Why am I imagining you doing body shots and drinking from a beer funnel,” Patrick jokes around as he spreads jam on two slices of bread.  

“Okay first of all, gross, it was the middle of the day and cocktails don’t really lend themselves to messy drinking,” David replies as he accepts one of the jam sandwiches and bites into it. “Second of all, we did get a little frisky as the day went on.”

Patrick tilts his head, eager to hear more. “Did they get handsy with you?” 

David wags his eyebrows suggestively, keeping his lips pursed in an attempt to keep Patrick on his toes. “We may have played a round of truth or dare.” 

“Oh my god! David, you kissed someone, didn’t you?”  

David caves, a wide smile breaks loose on his face, “Okay fine, her name was Lisa and we kissed for hours as if we were in high school again. It was ridiculous and juvenile but...” he sighs happily, “Refreshing.” 

Patrick smiles, glad to see his husband so happy. He reaches out with his clean hand and pats David’s knee, squeezing it gently. “I’m happy for you, David.” 

“Still missed you though. Don’t get the wrong impression,” he waves a fork at Patrick in warning. 

“Oh I wouldn’t dare. I missed you too. How about we spend today together, to make up for it?” 

“I’d like that,” he nods approvingly, “Okay, your turn.” 

Patrick takes his last bite before cleaning off his hands in the washroom. He grabs his bottle of water and chugs a few gulps, somewhat stalling. “So, do I tiptoe around the fact that I went cliff diving or do I have to sit through a lecture from you?” 

“Oh the latter, definitely the latter.” 

He puts his bottle down on the bedside table before sliding in on David’s side of the bed. He bends one knee and pulls David in by the waist, settling for a seated hug as David continues to pick at his chocolate chip muffin. Patrick’s not even sure where he got that one from, he’s pretty certain he hadn’t added it to his tray that morning. 

“I’m just saying,” David finally says, “Why would you intentionally put yourself in harm's way? It’s like you’re offering yourself on a silver platter to Death himself.” 

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” 

“You got lucky,” he insists. 

“I got lucky on three separate dives?” 

“Oh my god, okay I get it. Next, what’s next? What else did you get up to?”

Patrick smiles into David’s neck, placing a kiss there. He understands how much of a scare the idea of diving off a cliff is for David, but he really can’t do anything about it now. It had crossed his mind as they trekked that day, but he’d justified the activity by reminding himself that he doesn’t get to do this type of thing that often. 

They’ll go back to Schitt’s creek tomorrow and get back to running their very safe and secluded business together. They’ll go to sleep and wake up as married husbands, finding thrills in the little things in life. 

“Well, I spent the day with the friends I told you about, Marissa and Geoff.” 

David interjects, “Ah, now is that Jeff with a J, or Geoff with a G? And before you respond, yes there’s a correct answer.” 

Patrick shakes his head, amused. “I’m not answering that, David.” 

“Why not? It sets the mood for the rest of the story.” 

“The mood will be set whether you like it or not when I tell you that I kissed him.” 

David squeals, tossing the muffin wrapper onto the tray and turning in Patrick’s arms to make direct eye contact. “You kissed someone!” 

Patrick shrugs, feeling the pressure of the revelation beat at his chest and wanting to shrug it off. 

“Way to bury the lead!” 

“It’s not a big deal.” 

“Patrick, it’s a big deal! How was it? Did you love it? Wait, you kissed him?”

“I did, it took me all day to even realize I wanted to. But… you should have seen him, David, he’s built like a greek god. And he just carries himself with this undeniable energy...” 

David nods along, fascinated. “Wow, honey. I’m impressed,” he rubs a palm across Patrick’s forearm and leans forward. Patrick joins him for a small kiss on the lips. He tastes and smells like chocolate, the mix of it with his natural scent feeling very familiar to Patrick. Like home. 

“We should probably have a proper conversation about it in the future but, uh, I got his number, too.” 

His husband smiles, awe in his face clear as day. “Mmm,” he smirks and shimmies into another kiss. “Is he open to having some fun with the both of us?” 

“Yea, I told him I was married,” Patrick shrugs, “I figured honesty was the best policy.”

David smiles and leans in for one last chocolatey kiss before hopping off the bed and heading to the washroom to clean up as well. Patrick tosses their garbage and places the tray in the designated area for house cleaning to pick it up later. 

Patrick loafs around David’s room for a while as David gets ready for the day. He’d been in his sleep clothes the entire time since he’d just gotten out of bed to answer the door for Patrick. They debate back and forth about what they should spend the day doing. They have the option of going out and socializing with other singles, continuing to keep their secret hidden. Or they can take advantage of the TV in David’s room and indulge themselves in a movie marathon. 

Either way, Patrick thinks it’s going to be another great Valentine’s Day. 

Chapter Text

David is happy to say he ended up spending Valentine’s Day with his husband. They take a vote on whether to stay in or go out, but ultimately David vetoes Patrick’s vote when it doesn’t align with his. 

They spend the day in his cabin, rewatching the Bridget Jones film series as they cuddle in bed to make up for a lot of lost night time cuddles that week. By the end of the evening, they’re so comfortable in each other’s arms, David doesn’t even have to beg too hard for Patrick to stay the night.

The next morning, Patrick has to go back to his room for a fresh set of clothes. David tries to cling to him for as long as possible, encouraging him to snooze for a bit as the sun beams through the window. Well, David snoozes on Patrick’s chest as he catches up on miscellaneous notifications on his phone. When David wakes up the third time he still doesn’t want Patrick to leave so he seduces him into a round of mutual handjobs in a steamy shower.  

“Mmm, I like you sneaking out of my room like a forbidden lover," David smirks. A single towel is loosely wrapped around his lower half. 

“That makes one of us. I might be fully covered, but I feel as naked as the day I was born,” Patrick complains. He’s wrapped up nice and snug in a white bathrobe, having refused to put on sweaty clothes from the day before. But he’s definitely stark naked under that robe. As much as it’s clearly making Patrick uncomfortable, it makes David strangely happy.

Patrick gathers up his belongings, stuffing his clothes into one of David’s totes to minimize the embarrassment on what’s bound to be a walk of shame back to his own room. 

“I’ll see you in a bit?” Patrick unlocks the door. 

David walks up and places a chaste kiss on Patrick’s lips. “At least half an hour. But no longer than forty minutes. I promise.” 

Patrick kisses him back lovingly before taking a deep breath and swinging the door open. He checks the hallway both ways. When the coast is clear, he makes a run for it. 

They decide to meet at the pool, since it’s incorrect for Patrick to be on a cruise trip without once taking a dip. The smell overwhelms David’s senses once again as he enters the area. There are significantly less people around than the first night David was here. Most of those who are around are lounging by the pool chairs, soaking in the sun.

A quick scan around confirms that Patrick has yet to arrive. That’s kind of weird, seeing as David is almost never more punctual than him. 

David sets his belongings down and makes himself comfortable on a strategically chosen chair - half shaded and half under the sun. He begins people watching as he strips off his shirt, chain and various accessories. Come to think of it, he’s not really sure why he decided to put them on in the first place. Old habits, probably. 

People are mingling around together more closely than they have been all week. He supposes now that everyone has gotten to know each other, they’re more comfortable fooling around and chit chatting. There’s a single guy swimming laps around the perimeter of the pool, kind of similar to the way David was the last time he was here. Although, he has significantly better form and… general physique? His shoulders are thick and rounded off with defined muscle. His back flexes and ripples every time he performs a stroke. 

David has to shake himself out of a trance he didn’t even realize he entered. He zips up his bag and tucks it away before taking a few steps forward and diving into the pool. The water feels nice. The cold is a welcome contrast to the humid Caribbean air around them. 

When David resurfaces, Mr. Attractive is standing up near the shallow end. His hands are placed on his waist in hero position, causing his chest to puff out. It heaves with every breath he takes, smooth skin dripping with water. David used to think Patrick was the least hairy man he’d ever met. But this guy is breaking that record. There is not a single trace of hair or peach fuzz on that body. It’s the only assumption David can make from this far away, given the water literally rolls off him as if he were made of porcelain. 

He makes a move to sink back underwater. David has to swallow the thirst that has suddenly overcome him and force himself to look at literally anywhere else. He curses under his breath for catching himself staring again. To pass time as he waits for Patrick, he decides to swim up and down the length of the pool to avoid getting in the way of McStud as he continues his laps. 

Luckily, he doesn’t have to entertain himself for too long. 

“Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I swim by again?”

David turns around at the sound of the familiar voice approaching him. He wants to play along with his husband's joke, he really does, but it’s cringy at best. “Oh honey, you don’t want to hear any of my rehearsed responses to that line.” 

“David, no nicknames! You’ll get us caught.” 

“Oh crap, I almost forgot,” David laughs, but neither of them care enough to check if anyone around them is within earshot. “What about a kiss, does that get us caught?” He slowly drifts into Patrick’s personal space, placing his hands on Patrick’s waist underneath the surface of the water. 

“I think we can get away with a kiss. We’ve met publicly once before, I’d consider this our second date,” he mirrors David’s stance, letting himself be pulled in. 

“If dancing with other people and occasionally making eye contact with each other across the room can be classified as a date, Patrick, no wonder our real first date was such a mess.”

Patrick purses his lips, “Don’t be mean, or else you won’t get your kiss.”

“Okay, oka-” David’s laugh is swallowed up by the big wet smooch Patrick places on his lips. They’ve both been underwater so the taste of chlorine is potent and unavoidable. But after the week they've had, David wants to give himself this moment. He tilts his head to the side, parting his lips to let Patrick’s tongue in. It feels like home. 

As Patrick brings their chests together, David’s hands climb up and wrap around his neck. David’s mind runs off for a moment, thinking about the hot guy he’d been ogling before Patrick arrived. His chest had appeared to be hard, and firm. But David’s curious as to how it would actually feel under his fingers. He trails a hand down Patrick’s chest, recalling a time when he didn't have every line and curve memorized. Patrick, also, had appeared to be hard and chiseled from afar. But to the touch, his body was soft and welcoming and ended up wrapping around David like a blanket. 

After a few moments, Patrick pulls back and smirks. “Either your mind has run off into another realm, or you really missed my kisses.” 

“Of course I missed your kisses, why would you even doubt that for a single moment.” 

Patrick moves a hand down and places it directly on David’s cock. “Because I find it hard to believe.” 

David’s heart bangs against his chest, he hadn’t even realized he was that excited. “Patrick! We’re in public!”

“Yea, David, we’re in public,” Patrick counters, raising an accusing eyebrow as if communicating you’re the one who’s hard right now. He has a point, frankly speaking. David is only half ashamed. Patrick removes his hand and places it back on David’s side. Thank the lord. As much as Patrick loves to be a tease, he’s not outright evil. 

“Okay, fine, maybe my mind was… thinking. About some things,” David shrugs.

“Would you like to share some of those things?” 

David shakes his head vehemently. “Not particularly, no.”

“That’s too bad. I would also have shared with you where my mind had run off to. But if you don’t think that’s a second date level conversation…” 

David’s ears perk up, always eager to hear about Patrick’s fantasies. “Oh my god, no, it is! It is absolutely a second date level conversation and I’m all ears.” 

Patrick’s smile is so bright, it almost blinds him. But as quickly as it appears, it hides away as he brings his lips close to David’s ear. “I was imagining how easy it would be to pick you up right now.” 

“Oh.”

“If I lifted you, you could wrap your legs around me effortlessly.” 

The vivid image floods David’s mind so fast, he has to close his eyes to watch it play out behind his lids. 

“While the water supports most of your weight, my hands would be free to roam across your body,” Patrick whispers. He kisses the skin right beneath his ear before continuing, “Across your back, around your thighs. On your ass.

“Fuck,” David groans. “That sounds like a dream.” 

“God, it really does. I’m half tempted to pull you up right now,” Patrick’s fingers are low, very low, along David’s swim shorts right now. Threatening to make a move. 

“Why don’t you?” David pushes, no longer conscious of where they are or even who they are.

“David, I would love nothing more than to pick you up right now. But I don’t think we could go that far without forgetting to come back to reality.” 

Damn it. David throws his head back in a groan. Where he was half hard against Patrick’s thigh before, he’s rock solid now. He wants to say something; suggest they continue anyway or insist they head back down to one of their rooms. Before he can order his thoughts and pick one that makes the most sense, they’re interrupted. 

“You’re lucky there aren’t any kids around because this is an R rated display.” 

Blood escapes David’s cock immediately and rushes up to his face. The embarrassment washes over him so fast, he doesn’t have a moment to be annoyed that someone would have the gall to interrupt them. 

When his eyes land on the dimpled face of the stranger he’d just been fantasizing about, David is absolutely and unequivocally mortified. On instinct, he lets go of the tight hold he has on Patrick and sways away. His body sinks deeper into the water, praying to all deities out there that his hard on is well and truly gone.

Patrick laughs - Patrick laughs? 

That is very out of character for David’s husband. And he should know, he’s collected enough data points over the years. Out of the two of them, David is the one that usually strays into exhibitionistic tendencies. He gawks at him, not expecting the smooth and level headed response that falls out of his mouth. 

“What can I say, I’m very happy I decided to come on this trip,” 

“Well shit, good on ya man!” He fist pumps Patrick’s shoulder in a very bro-like manner. “I’m glad one of us met the man of their dreams,” he winks. 

Now what is that supposed to mean? 

Patrick’s smile is so wide it reaches his eyes. David can tell he’s not acting, or making small talk just to be polite. It seems these two know each other and David absolutely hates being out of the loop. 

Patrick places his arm around David’s shoulder and introduces them, “David, this is Geoff.”

And that’s all he has to say. David’s mind now has to jump through hoops of mathematical calculations, loading the conversation they had yesterday into the forefront of his brain. This is the guy Patrick spent the day with at the beach. “Hello, uh, I’m David.” 

Okay, so his brain isn’t fully online yet. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you, David,” his voice is deep and loud. He expends zero effort as he speaks. Like he doesn't have to try that hard to get the attention of every single person in a room at any given moment in time. Alpha energy. “I was about to make my way downstairs but I just absolutely had to meet you when I saw you with Patrick.”

That’s right, Patrick did tell David that Geoff is now in on their little secret. “I’m glad you did. And I hope this isn’t the last time we see each other,” it’s the one and only straight thought he manages to spit out without stuttering. 

“Likewise,” he turns to Patrick, “I’ll see you around, you know where to find me.” 

As Geoff leaves, neither of them say anything. They both stare as he swims the last bit of the way to the edge of the pool before hoisting himself up. His form and posture is so expert-like, David starts thinking he’ll lift and lift until he’s in a perfect handstand. Again, David watches the water drip off his back and to the ground. It’s the first time David has a view of his ass and it’s just… “Wow.” 

“I told you.” 

“I mean, you really did. But can you blame me for not thinking you meant the hottest man on earth was on this ship?”

As Geoff disappears, Patrick turns back around. “Second hottest. No doubt about it.”

“When will you outgrow all that cheese?” 

“Never. Not while you smile like that every time.” 

“You’re sweet,” David’s stomach makes a sound, and he almost regrets skipping breakfast this morning. He winces, “... and I’m hungry.” 

“I knew you would be. Which is why I picked up something for you to eat.” 

“Oh?”

Patrick points towards David’s pool chair. Sure enough, a tray full of food is awaiting him. 

“You’re literally the best. Have I ever told you?”

“Once or twice,” Patrick places a kiss on David’s shoulder and pushes him away. “Go, eat. I’ll make a few laps and join you later.”

David swims to the pool ladder and climbs up elegantly. He walks carefully to his bag and pulls out a towel. It’s one he’d brought with him from home so it’s extra plush and hugs his shoulders just right. 

When he goes to lift the tray in order to sit down, his eyes fall to a single red rose that lies between a plate of croissants and a chocolate chip muffin. He picks it up, heart doing flips in his chest. It reminds him of the conversation they’d had last night. Patrick, of course, of course, took it upon himself to fetch David a rose at the next possible opportunity. 

He looks over to the pool, looking for his sappy husband. He wants to make eye contact and give him stupid heart eyes as a form of gratitude, but Patrick has already sunk into the deep end. 

Sighing happily, David just settles back and digs into his meal. 

David’s feet dangle in the water as he sits by the edge of the pool. Stomach sated, heart elated, he feels warm. The sun shining down certainly helps, but an overwhelming sense of contentment overtakes him as he converses with Patrick. He alternates between swimming in circles and shimming into the space between David’s legs. 

The single rose is held gently in David’s hands, a token of their week together manifesting itself physically. 

“Patrick? Oh, Patrick!”

They both look over to find a girl in a floral sundress wave towards them and start to walk over. As she approaches, David recognizes her from the karaoke bar. She seems to be the girl Patrick was singing along with that day. 

“Marissa, hey!” Patrick waves back, raising his hand high in the air as one would do to flag someone down in a huge crowd. Which David finds completely unnecessary given she’s the one who called Patrick’s name. 

For a split second something shiny catches perfectly under the reflection of the sun, grabbing the attention of David’s eye. He squints, then immediately drops his jaw. It’s Patrick’s wedding ring. 

He blinks to make sure he’s not seeing things. Yep, Patrick forgot to take it off. David snaps his head back to calculate the distance between them and Patrick’s wallet. It’s too far. He has no time to warn him. Marissa is steps away. As Patrick’s arm lowers itself, David catches it in mid air. He entwines their fingers together with one hand and places his other hand on the other side. Sandwiching Patrick’s left hand sufficiently. 

He gives him a confused look but doesn’t get a chance to say anything. 

“Hi, how’s the water? I just got here, figured this would be the best cruise ship experience to end the week with.”

“Oh it’s absolutely great. Cool at first but that’s a reprieve from the sun, if you ask me,” Patrick answers. He looks to David for any additional feedback, but doesn’t get much. 

“Oh no- yea, it’s great, you should hop in.”

They both notice her eyes glance down to where their hands fit together in David’s lap. A crooked smile plays on her face. David gives her a nice smile back, tilting his head and playing the role of a lovesick stranger who’s just now falling for a buttoned up stud. 

“Oh my gosh, hello. Just when did you meet this cutie, Patrick?” 

“Two nights ago, actually. At a Dance class,” he answers her cheerily but David can tell he feels restricted by the tight hold on his fingers. He wiggles but David doesn’t let up.  

“One of the ballroom ones? Yea, I’ve been avoiding those. My sister loves them.” 

“Oh, Maggie!” 

Marissa turns to David, pleasantly surprised. “You’ve met my sister?”

“Yea, sweet gal. A little heavy on the fangirl front, but fantastic dancer.” 

“Tell me about it,” Marissa rolled her eyes, looking suddenly exasperated. 

He shifts to Patrick, wondering if he was missing a cue here. Mostly he just looks up at Marissa with a vague sense of empathy on his face. 

“I’m going to tell her,” Marissa announces. She’s speaking directly to Patrick at this point, and seems to mean something to him because his jaw drops. 

“Are you sure? It’s only been a couple of days… are you ready now?”

“No, and that’s the thing! I’m never going to be.” She turns to look around the poolside, eyes not landing on anything in particular. “You know what? I’m going now. I have to catch her before she gets off this ship.”

Patrick’s blinks, shock still evident in his face. “Do you, uh… do you need- I mean do you want someone there with you? For support or anything.”

“You’re sweet. Thank you Patrick. But you told me to be brave. And, this is something that I can do. I can tell my sister and trust that she will be there for me when I tell my parents.” 

Patrick nods, a smile plays on his face. “No matter how it goes, you’ve got this.” 

“Thanks,” she leans down into a crouch and fist pumps Patrick’s shoulder in a way that reminds David very vividly of Geoff’s same gesture earlier in the day. 

“I wanted to say I’m happy for you guys, you seem very compatible with one another.”

They thank her kindly before nodding their goodbyes. She stands up, flips her sunglasses back on and exits the pool area. 

“So what was that all about?” David waves in the space she occupied next to him.

“Marissa is… Well she isn’t… She’s queer, too.” 

David’s eyes fly up, “Oh!” 

“Yea… I guess she felt comfortable around us so we kinda started opening up about it. She isn’t out to her family yet. I told her about me,” Patrick shrugs, preemptively declaring that it’s not a big deal. 

But it is. David knows how big of a deal it is to Patrick. He has a lot of feelings around his sexuality that are a constant work in progress. “Well, I’m happy you guys felt comfortable around each other enough to open up. And that you spent the day making new friends.” 

Patrick smiles thankfully before shifting the conversation. “And what’s this all about?” he lifts their hands up into the air, confused. This time, when he tugs, David let’s him free and watches as the ring makes its appearance. “Oh.”

“Exactly!” David whisper-yells. “How could you forget to take it off?”

“I don’t know, David!” 

“You went to get breakfast!”

“No one said anything, it’s fine.”

“They don’t have to say anything for people to start talking behind our backs.”

Patrick rolls his eyes, looking entirely too at ease. His initial shock wears off as David spirals into a deeper freak out. “What’s the worst they could say? The truth?”

“No. I’m not wearing mine. They could think I’m your mistress.” 

His head tilts, considering David’s insinuation. 

“No.”

“You know, we’ve never role played that.”

“No! Absolutely not.” 

Patrick laughs, sliding in between David’s legs again to distract him. It works. “What do you say we head back downstairs to see if I can convince you otherwise? We have an hour left before we have to offboard, I think we can make it work. David nods eagerly, exiting the pool gracefully. 

He has never dried and clothed himself so fast. 

David and Patrick sit in their respective seats, five rows apart, as their plane takes off. Once the seat belt light flickers out, Patrick sweet talks a middle aged woman who’s initially sitting next to David into switching seats with him. Patrick hauls his carry on over and sits next to David, too tired and in love to care about the facade of their little secret anymore. 

David lifts the armrest between them, tucking his husband into his side. Arms entwined. They pull out their rings and whisper ‘Will you marry me, again?’ before placing them on each other’s fingers and vowing to never take them off. 

It’s a sweet moment, between the two of them. David closes his eyes and takes the time to memorize every touch, feeling and emotion. As unconventional as this Valentine’s trip was, David knows it’s one he’ll never forget.