Page 144 of Fe
“I drew on your neck. Gave you a collar to protect you.”
Oh fuck.
“And when you went outside and met your friends, I stepped in to stop you being manhandled by a drunk.”
“Yes.” Fen’s voice was a whisper. “I can’t… It was you?”
“It was me.”
“Oh my God.”
Ripley sat up. “You should have told me.”
“I’ve only just found out too!”
Ripley frowned. “I mean that it was your first time.”
“You wouldn’t have touched me. I went there wanting it to happen. I chose you. I wanted you.”
“I remember.”
“Now I think…fuck… Now I think I made a good choice.”
Ripley brushed the back of his hand over Fen’s cheek.Am I crying?
“Have you not thought that for the last six years?” Ripley asked.
“I wished I’d seen your face.”
“And I wished I’d seen yours. That must be why I thought you were familiar.”
Fen chewed his lip. “You remembered me.”
Ripley smiled. “I remember everything. That black mask with those pointed ears, amazing blue hair, the leather harness you had on backwards…”
“I did. It was uncomfortable the right way round. I thought no one would notice.”
“Black leather-effect trousers, well sort of leggings, weren’t they. Ah and Doc Martens.”
“You wore a fuller face mask and a shirt/collar chest harness so your shoulders were covered. You had muscles.”
“I still have muscles!”
Fen laughed and ran his finger down Ripley’s chest. “Yeah, you do. And they’re lovely.”
“Now show me how flexible you are.”
So Fen did.
Ripley set the alarm on his phone to vibrate at 6.00 and stuck it under his pillow so he didn’t wake Fen. When he went downstairs, he saw the pile of presents under the tree, realised Fen had beaten him to it, and breathed a sigh of relief he’d bought things to wrap for him.
He was still reeling from finding out it had been Fen in the club. Ripley had often thought about the encounter. He’d even gone back to the club a few times but they only had leather night once a month. Now fate had brought them back together. Not that he believed in fate, but…
Fen yelped as Ripley climbed into bed beside him. “Santa! Your feet are cold.”
Ripley stuck a foot between Fen’s calves. “Warm them up, elf.”
Fen yanked his toes free.
