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When the words weigh heavy on the heart
Topic Started: Nov 17 2017, 11:57 PM (27 Views)
Reed Turner

When Reed realized he was gay, he had thought the hardest thing would be admitting it to his friends and family. After all, that was what movies always showed, right? And books. That was all the books made for his kind of people were about – coming out, coming clean. Lori had been the easy one to tell because they had still been fairly young and it had just been a fact. He thought that boys were cute. All the boys Lori had started noticing early, he had noticed too. He had always been her voice of reason. No she didn't want that boy, look at his hair; that was the hair of someone who didn't care. No she didn't want the boy, look at how he was always shoving people around. Now that boy, he was cute, he had nice eyes and a sweet smile. It hadn't seemed odd until they got older and they were really suppose to start noticing the opposite sex. Lori still liked men...and Reed did too. So she had been easy to come out to. When he had the word, he had told her he was gay. She had just looked at him and said it made sense. That was so ridiculously easy, but it didn't help him when he needed to figure out what to tell his parents. It wasn't they pressed anything on him, but they were pretty typical parents. Always with saying this girl looked nice and was that girl his girlfriend? In truth while he had planned out all this long rambling speeches, he had just wound up blurting it out. His parents had looked at each other for so long he thought they were going to kick him out. And then they had asked if well, did he have a boyfriend?
<p>
And that was where the real hard thing came in. His parents had always taught him to be proud of himself. They said he could be whoever he wanted so long as it was what he wanted. If he happened to want to be a bit more feminine, then good for him. If he wanted to be flamboyant, well that was his choice. So he had been himself. He had been the kind of person that people may not immediately pick out as gay, but if someone said 'That's Reed, he's the gay guy', everyone nodded in understanding while saying it made sense. But he was living in a town with not even ten thousand people...and apparently none of them were gay. At least not in high school they hadn't been. God, he remembered all the years he had pined for a boyfriend while his friends got them and lost them. But apparently having someone who was pretty obviously gay wasn't enough to draw others out. So he could admit that he had done the terrible thing of flirting with Lori's boys when she had them. And he still was pretty guilty of the fact that he had made out with them and that was how he told Lori that surprise, her boyfriends were gay. But they had made it through high school and then he was going to college in Lexington. And he thought surely, <i>surely</i> there would be more men of interest there. There were, he couldn't lie about that. There were a few ways to meet men and some of them had clicked with Reed, some of them hadn't. Usually it wound up being more or less just...they drifted apart. At first it had been Reed focusing too much on school and getting angry when his boyfriends had said they would have liked some attention too. Then it was with his job and how much he invested his time there rather than relationships. Eventually he had just settled into the long haul. It was fine, he wasn't unhappy. Lori was still single and Bailey was so quiet about Ben when they were together, it was like she was single.
<p>
Then along came Griffin. Griffin who was really good friends with Lori's brother, who had been charming and sarcastic and just...generally a nice person. He and Lori had clicked so fast and clicked so strong. Reed hadn't minded after the initial feeling of betrayal, but then all those times that she was out and about because Griffin was visiting or she was visiting were tempered by the fact she was with her boyfriend. Then he moved down to Kentucky. And <i>then</i> Sydney had come and Bailey had included him in her life too! He had called her greedy for that and she had just shrugged and said of course she was. His best friends in all the world had relationships and he was left alone. It wasn't like they were rubbing it in his face, but it was more...they were all adults and they all ready had to split their time and it was just harder to schedule friend <i>and</i> a lover. He supposed more than anything else he was just lonely. But he carried on, he kept getting invited to parties with the Mannings...and then one day at one party, there was a few new people. Sydney's family, apparently down for Sydney's birthday or something. There was an older brother to chat with who got along really well with Algernon...and then there was the cousin. Antonio was his name and he was everything people told you about Spain. He was accented and charming and seductive and he had been very liberal with the compliments. And he had chosen to put his attention on Reed. How could Reed resist? This was the first man that had flirted with him for years. They had grown closer and closer until Antonio had to leave for Spain and Bailey had called him an idiot for not going for a roll in the hay first. Reed had agreed but what good did it do him now? But then Antonio came back and he remembered Reed. He had to leave again, but he came back. Every time he came back, he always remembered Reed. It was Lori who had told him to do <i>something</i> before he left this time.
<p>
So he had. He had flirted and charmed as much as he had been charmed and when he had surged in to kiss Antonio, the kiss had been just as intense on the other side. The kisses had been long and slow and deep and he didn't think they had stopped kissing except long enough for Reed to say they should go back to his place. Honestly, Reed had always wondered if the whole "Latin lover" thing was a stereotype, but if it was or wasn't, Antonio had certainly been a lover. The two of them had spent all night making love, had been so close that to be even an inch a part had left Reed feeling empty and cold. It was a night Reed knew he couldn't forget with a man he didn't want to lose. It felt like only an hour ago that Antonio had fallen asleep, but Reed knew it had been longer. He knew because Reed hadn't wanted to fall asleep. He just wanted to lie awake and map out the other man's face and commit it to memory. He reached out so he could brush his fingers over Antonio's hair.
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Antonio Torres

If Antonio were honest with himself, he would have never have thought that he would come to someplace like this. He would never have thought that Sydney would come to some place like this. It wasn't so much America itself - Sydney had been living in New York for quite some time and Antonio had visited around to various parts of the country himself - but this place was different. He had also never seen the point of visiting the majority of the states in America. New York, Los Angeles, those were the big ones where he could pick up tips and tricks of his trade from other culinary geniuses. He had never thought of anything related to Kentucky. If he were really honest, he probably didn't even quite know there was a state with that name. Maybe in the back of his head when they learned about other countries back in school but certainly not a forefront. It had never mattered to him before. It probably wouldn't have mattered to him at all if he hadn't gotten an email from his younger cousin telling him that he had moved and giving him his new address in case Antonio needed it for any sort of correspondence. It still hadn't mattered all that much until Sydney had come back home for a visit and he had brought along two people with him. It had come out quite quickly that the both of them were Sydney's romantic partners. Antonio could admit to being a bit surprised, mostly because he couldn't imagine having to share his romantic partner with another person. At least, not in terms of a long term sort of a deal. He had certainly dabbled a time or two, after all. Benjamin and Bailey were interesting people. Not the sort that he had ever imagined his cousin with but Sydney seemed incredibly happy and that was what mattered, he supposed. It had been nice to meet them and he had thought that would be it.

Then, a year or so later, he had received a letter - a handwritten letter, no less - asking if he would be willing to come to America for a short visit. Sydney's birthday was arriving and apparently one or both of his lovers intended to have quite the to-do for him and hoped that even his family from Spain could come. Antonio had toyed with the idea of whether or not Sydney would enjoy that in the least and whether or not he would enjoy that in the least. Eventually, though, he had decided to just do it. It never hurt to see new places and new things, new people. In fact, that was how one inspired creativity in the kitchen. He wanted to see what had made his cousin leave the big, fast city for a state that Antonio could hardly remember hearing much about. When they had arrived in Lexington, he hadn't seen much of a difference. Oh, it was different. New York was New York and there would never be anything like that city in the world but Lexington was a substantial city, a major city, and all major cities had the same general feeling. It wasn't until they had gotten in the car and begun to drive that he realized Sydney lived somewhere very different. Rolling green hills and pasture land, horses dotting the landscape everywhere and quaint American farm homes. Granted, he had been told that Sydney and his partners didn't quite live right here but they still had a residence that wasn't in the big city. He wondered how they had ever convinced clean cut Sydney who disliked the thought of mess and dirt to move down to farmland. The home they had been taken to was nice. Larger than he expected, a feeling of oldness about it. When he saw the majority of the family, he understood why it was so big. Spanish families were no strangers to large, loud get togethers with all the family that could make it but even some of them might be put to the test by the size of this family. And what a family. He wouldn't say that all of them quite hit his radar but quite a lot of them did. There were quite a lot of handsome, beautiful people here. The only disappointment was that a majority of them were all taken. It was only later that he learned that part of the reason the family gathering was so big was because partners and friends of the family had also been invited. And thank goodness they had, because that was how he had come across Reed. He knew it wasn't quite true, but it felt almost as if Reed were the only single individual besides himself at that party.

Thank goodness for that, because the young man had shown quite a lot of interest in him and Antonio in Reed. He had flirted quite a bit whenever they met which honestly seemed to be quite often. He had only found out a bit later that Reed was considered one of Bailey's best friends and that Reed was also best friends with Lori, someone who was also close with Bailey. It seemed like where one of the three went the other two were bound to show up. Despite all of that, despite all of the flirting, Antonio had actually gone back home to Spain unsatisfied. He had written it off as one of those things that happened. Maybe Reed had been uninterested in anything other than flirting. It happened sometimes. Maybe he had been too shy and Antonio hadn't read the signs right. Maybe he had just been being polite. The last wasn't likely, but stranger things had happened. In the end, he had just decided to treat it as it was - something that might have happened, but hadn't. Antonio honestly hadn't expected to return. It was a nice place, but it wasn't exactly the height of culinary cuisine and it wasn't a top vacation spot either. Still, he had found himself returning because Sydney and his partners invited him to do so once in awhile. Every time he came, he always met Reed again and the young man was always interested and yet nothing past heavy flirting ever happened. He had pretty much been forced to assume that was that; that all Reed was interested in was the flirting. It was never going to amount to more than that. He was disappointed, he couldn't lie, but that was life. Sometimes you thought one thing and it turned out to be something else entirely.

This time, however, he had been pleasantly surprised. The flirting had been as heavy handed as it had been the last few times but this time there was more at the end of it. The other man had maybe been hesitant but, regardless, this time he wasn't. He had surged forward when they were left somewhat alone once and the kiss that they had shared had been enticingly energetic. It had also been a lovely way to pass the time until the other man finally mentioned that they should go back to his place. Antonio had just smiled and said "finally". He could admit that he had showed off a tad bit during the night. After all, he had an image to uphold, didn't he? It had certainly been a long night and Reed had been quite, quite eager and willing. Eventually, he had drifted off to sleep with a beautiful man in his arms - one of the best ways to fall asleep, if you asked him. He felt only as if he had just gone to sleep, however, when there was the lightest of touches against his hair that stirred him awake. "Mi cielo, is is still far too early to be awake I think." Despite his words, he moved his hand to capture Reed's own and kiss it. "Unless you are interested in more fun?" he teased gently.
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Reed Turner

Reed liked this. He liked lying there with his partner and feeling the happy glow, whether it was from sex or just sleeping. It had been the one thing he had really regretted when his relationships tended to dissolve. Did that make him a shallow person? It was possible, but Reed had never really had a relationship where someone did something when they were awake and he fell in love all over again. He was far too busy for that kind of thing. It was usually pretty common for him to look at the person and just wonder 'did they always do that? Is this a habit?'. But sleeping and after sex were best. The faces looked so relaxed and peaceful. Even when Antonio stirred...maybe especially when he stirred because god, his voice had that husky purr of sleep and that nickname...Reed felt like he might melt. "<b>It's only early if you went to sleep. That's why I cleverly stayed awake.</b>" Maybe he had dozed off here and there but it had seemed almost silly to fall asleep at some point when he knew he was going to wake up not too long later. It had let him watch Antonio, it let him settle into his own happy doze. Plus he had just loved lying there with a partner again for the first time in what felt like months – and probably was, really. Those thoughts came to a stop as Antonio reached out, taking his hand and laying a kiss on it. When was the last time someone had done that? He wasn't about to say Americans never were romantic in the ways Europe was but...but well, hand kissing and sweet words seemed awful few and far in between. It seemed a lot more common to just be blunt, to just be like 'all right, good job' and that was it. "<b>You're incorrigible,</b>" he laughed, even as he shifted closer. "<b>I love it.</b>" Everything about Antonio had been worth the wait, he realized. He had put it off and put it off because no time felt right. The first time they met was the first time they met and it was his cousin's birthday party; he had a bit more class than that. The other times had just never felt <i>right</i> until the night before. And everything about it made him glad he had waited. He squirmed a bit closer, close enough that he could press his lips to Antonio's.
<p>
He let that kiss last because kissing Antonio was fast becoming one of his favorite things. Antonio knew how to kiss, just like he had known how to have sex. Again, he wasn't going to say Americans didn't know how to do those things, but Antonio had turned it into some kind of <i>art</i>. He had performed last night like a man who <i>loved</i> what he did. All the men Reed had been with before had been good, but it was like pizza, he told Lori. As Lori had laughed, he had said pizza was generally pretty good, it was rare that you found a <i>bad</i> pizza...but equally it wasn't like you found a pizza that was so amazingly good either. Last night had been amazing, that fabled time of just...perfect. He pulled back, letting his hand smooth down Antonio's chest. "<b>You're right, though. Bit early to be awake.</b>" He paused long enough to steal another kiss. "<b>I'll go put on the kettle.</b>" Because Reed knew he himself was not going back to sleep. He couldn't. He didn't think he would be tired again until the following night. Though it made him wonder if Antonio would stay. They hadn't really <i>discussed</i> anything. They had talked a bit over his visits, discussed how both of them were single and relationships had usually just not worked out. They hadn't gone 'oh I would quite like this to be no strings attached' 'well I would like a relationship'. Would Antonio want to stay with him? Oh Reed knew he was going to leave for Spain again once his visit was over, but was this a just a one night stand they were done? Reed wasn't <i>exactly</i> oppose to it. He wasn't going to swoon onto a couch and say he felt used and dirty and he wasn't that kind of man – because if he was going to do that, he would have said no to sleeping with him before they had hashed it out.
<p>
"<b>Won't be half a mo', love,</b>" he said easily. That was when he finally pushed himself up, shifting out from underneath the cozy covers and the delectable warmth that was Antonio. Being in the bedroom air was shockingly chilling after that, almost enough to drive him back under the covers. But he felt a little tired around the edges, enough that he wanted tea, he wanted to wake up a bit more rather than keep dozing. He grabbed his robe as he went, throwing it on and belting it as he went. Robes, he had found, were a god send when one was too lazy to actually get dressed but at the same time had at least enough shame to not walk around naked even if it was his own home. He made his way to the kitchen, taking a moment to put on the kettle and stare a little idly at the teas. Should he have asked if Antonio had wanted tea? He had just assumed he would drink it; he had assumed that Antonio would have some, but what if he wanted coffee? Or even espresso? Was that stereotyping? God, he didn't know what people liked to drink in Spain. He had never made it his mission to go looking into what every culture had as a breakfast beverage. He had just gone 'well it's time for breakfast'. Should he go back and ask? Well, the kettle would take long enough to heat up, it would take its time and whistle when it was done so he didn't <i>have</i> to stand there idly waiting for it to finish. Was he avoiding going back into the bedroom? He took a short moment to really think about it. That was the thing he had always worried about, things getting awkward. That's what happened when there was no proper definition between what their relationship was.
<p>
But that didn't really seem to be hitting home. It was fine, maybe because Antonio hadn't made it awkward and thus, Reed didn't feel like <i>making</i> it awkward. That thought in mind, he went back to the bedroom to where the most handsome creature he had seen in years was still laying. He crawled back onto the bed, settling himself down on top of the covers so he could let his arm rest over Antonio. "<b>I feel like I should have asked you last night if you preferred coffee or tea, isn't that basic politeness?</b>" he teased a little. It seemed to be the joke that was in all the movies that were the most obvious indicator that the on screen couple was going to have sex.
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Antonio Torres

Antonio watched the other man through half-lidded eyes. He wasn't lying when he said that it was too early to be awake. He felt as if they only had just gone to sleep and while he was a very firm believer in the maxim that you were only as old as you felt... well. He was a man in his forties and there were some things even mind over matter couldn't quite fix. Such as not getting enough sleep. "Ah, you are a clever man, I see," he commented with a wry smile. He was also young, Antonio wanted to tell him but he didn't want to bring that up. It wasn't so much that he felt any shame for it - why should he? They were both adults, both willing and even eager - but he didn't want to start drawing lines in the sand. He didn't want to start putting things out in the nature of 'you're so young so of course you feel this way'. That was a very good way to make someone feel ostracized and left out and to kill a love affair quickly. And maybe this was just a one night love affair but maybe it wasn't. He certainly didn't want to end it before it had a chance to figure out what it was. He allowed himself a small smirk as Reed shifted closer to him and said that he was incorrigible. Antonio gave a laugh and reached a hand around the young man, moving it to give a solid smack to the young man's ass before he grabbed it, kneading just a little. "I am very glad you do. I was not just making idle conversation, either." He had always been a man quite ready for more, more, more. He wouldn't say he needed sex but once he got it he could be almost relentless in his pursuit of it. He just enjoyed it, all aspects of it, and there was nothing better than knowing how completely you had made your lover come undone and Reed had most deliciously come undone during the night.

He delighted in the kiss that Reed initiated, letting it draw out into an enjoyable few moments. He wouldn't say Reed was the best lover he had ever had nor was he the worst. Antonio didn't really judge in terms of good and bad when it come to love and sex. The man hadn't been inexperienced yet he had seemed almost surprised at some of the things that Antonio did or some of the skills he possessed. It was a bit much to assume it was just because he was that much better than previous lovers the man had had. It was probably just the experience of years at work. He might have had lovers but it probably hadn't been as many as Antonio and probably nowhere near as varied. He was glad though. It was always nice to feel like you had taken things to a whole new level. He turned from his side to his back somewhat as Reed finally broke the kiss. The young man smoothed a hand down his chest and Antonio smirked again, sure that there was going to be a second round. Instead, though, the hand stayed very chivalrously high above waist level and the young man just smiled and said that it was a bit too early to be awake. Another kiss - very chaste this time - and Reed had stood up from the bed, saying he was going to go put the kettle on. He felt almost disappointed that it was turning into nothing more than that but, well, you couldn't have it all. He had to wonder, again, if this was it. A part of him twinged a little to think that it should be nothing more than one night. Yet, at the same time, they didn't know each other all that well. There might be some sadness or regret if they parted but their worlds wouldn't be shattered either. He raised his eyebrows a little as Reed spoke, using that charming accent of his that hadn't died from his childhood, apparently. He wasn't the least bit bothered by the endearment - after all, Antonio had used one himself. He watched Reed slide out of the bed. "Are you sure you're going to do that or are you trying to tempt me, mi cielo?" Antonio asked him, his words not quite a purr but close enough. He watched the younger man's naked body before he grabbed a robe and covered himself. Antonio allowed himself a sigh before he said. "Such a shame." Another slow, almost teasing smirk, sat on his face before Reed finally actually left the bedroom. That left Antonio at loose ends for the moment. He could remain where he was. He could get up and trail after Reed into the kitchen. He hadn't been lying when he had said it was early, which insinuated that he was tired. It had been a long day and a longer night. He was used to going to bed late but he wasn't used to waking up in the middle of the night either. He had just about decided that he might as well get up and remain awake when Reed came back to the bedroom. He watched the man through interested and hungry eyes until Reed had slid back onto the bed. He was still robed, unfortunately, but he supposed you couldn't have everything.

He gave a small chuckle as Reed spoke again. "I believe we were a bit busy for such questions." Not that they had come into the place and ripped clothes off but they had definitely been focused on one another and not what kind of beverage they might be drinking in the morning. "Coffee, usually. Very strong. I have been known to drink tea a time or two, though," he said with a light tease. Honestly, he didn't care at the moment. In his mind it was still far too early to be eating or drinking anything anyways. "Perhaps later I will make us some breakfast, hm?" He raised an eyebrow slightly at Reed, showing that he was only slightly teasing. He wouldn't mind doing that in the least although, right now, he had other things in mind.
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Reed Turner

Looking at that beautiful face, Reed had another moment of just how this had all happened. Oh, Reed was fairly confident in his looks – after all, he had done many things to keep his grooming standards up, to make sure that he was something at least <i>decent</i> to look at – but at the same time, Antonio had been something so very different. Not quite a greek god, he would tell Bailey and Lori, but a very close second. "<b>Trust me, I won't be feeling so clever later today, but I think it was worth it.</b>" Because he would have to leave the house at some point. He may not have had work that day, but he had obligations with Lori and Bailey, there were obligations for the things he had had planned for the day that needed to get done. It wouldn't be the first all nighter that Reed had pulled, probably wouldn't be his last, but he knew from experience that he would be fine in the morning. He would be fine until right around noon and then he would start to droop. He'd tell himself it would be an early bedtime and then he'd probably fall asleep in his chair all things considered. But lord, he could not regret it when Antonio smirked at him and laughed and went so far to <i>smack his ass</i> before grabbing it. Reed couldn't stop the tiny yelp of surprise, or the surge of feelings that came with it. Without thinking, he pressed against Antonio more, throwing his leg over the man's hip. "<b>Incorrigible,</b>" he repeated in a pleased murmur. "<b>You didn't have enough wearing me out last night?</b>" Because Reed didn't think it was enough either. He leaned in, pressing his lips to Antonio's, pressing his body more solidly against the other man's. "<b>You were all ready so...vigorous.</b>" But it had been wonderful, it had been amazing because while Antonio had been intense and eager, he had been gentle at first too. He had been willing to feel out how Reed wanted it. It had been like they had explored each other. Reed wouldn't say it was a first, but it was so rare.
<p>
Reed wondered if he could take a moment to text Lori. She and him had never really had the kind of relationship that people seemed to think childhood friends had where they told each other <i>all</i> about their sex lives, including some of the more scandalous bits. He had told Lori before that he felt she was his sister and you just didn't tell your family that you were having sex. You didn't go into great detail about how you had deep throated a man or that he had picked you up to take you against a wall. That was just awkward. At the same time, he wanted to text Lori, to have an almost meltdown because he wasn't fully sure what to do in this moment. He was happy...but he didn't know what he was expected to do with Antonio. If Antonio had been Sydney's cousin that happened to live in the state, he would have maybe coyly brought up the topic of future fun, whether that involved a bed or a date. If he had lived out of state, he might touch tentatively on where they wanted to go; if they wanted to leave this as it was or try something long distance (it had worked for Lori). But the problem was Antonio lived in an entirely different <i>country</i>. The time zones alone wouldn't let them have the little "not dates" (again like Lori and Griffin). Even if they could try to have those, there was no guarantee that Antonio would want to take time out of his life to watch a movie with Reed and pretend they were a couple. He laughed as he belted his robe a little bit and Antonio spoke. "<b>You're barmy,</b>" he countered, "<b>How could I tempt you? You're the handsome devil here.</b>" Because oh, everything about Antonio had been sinfully pleasant. Everything about Antonio had been practically <i>designed</i> to be a temptation. His smile, his eyes, his features, his body...and he knew how to wield it like it was some kind of weapon. He had this way of letting a look enter his eyes that made you know he wanted sex...and the look in his eyes promised that it would be the best moments of your life to spend with him. God, during last night Antonio could have asked Reed for <i>anything</i> and Reed would have agreed. "<b>You'll last five minutes with out me, I'm sure.</b>" He didn't add that Antonio had spent years without him all ready, because it drove the idea home that maybe this was all Reed was going to get.
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The text to Lori was a jumbled thing, something he wasn't entirely sure made sense, but at the same time, he hadn't wanted to stand around in his kitchen and think of a way to ask what to do when he had a very tempting man in his room. A man he was more than happy to settle back into bed with, to settle in close and not quite snuggle up to him but lie close enough he could look at his face. "<b>Just a titch.</b>" It had been a thrilling feel to have Antonio in his home last night, to bring him in and feel all that intensity build up. Reed still felt he should have asked at some point what the morning after would be like, but no one ever talked about the morning after, not unless they were referring to it as some kind of shame on them. "<b>Strong coffee sounds horribly bitter,</b>" he laughed. Reed couldn't say he didn't drink coffee. He worked in public relations; the sheer amount of running around and patting people down that he had to do would wear anyone out and sometimes tea just wasn't enough. The problem was that he couldn't do the regular coffee with it's strong "smoky" flavors. Lori had teased him more times then he could count for being a white teenage girl because his choices tended to lean towards things like pumpkin spice lattes or something. "<b>Oh, what a golden god I've brought into my bed. A fantastic lover <i>and</i> offering to make me breakfast? You really are a devil here to take my soul, aren't you?</b>" Not that Reed would have minded at all, he would have given anything gladly to Antonio in those moment, he just had to ask. He reached out, letting his fingers trail over the older man's side. "<b>How long are you staying?</b>" he finally asked the question he didn't want to. With him or in the state, it didn't matter. As much as he wanted to avoid the topic and pretend they had forever, he couldn't do it. Reed had always functioned better with more information. He told himself he could brace better if he knew when Antonio would be returning to Spain or even just when he was returning to his cousin's home, but truthfully he just wanted to know how much time he had to enjoy this, to enjoy him.
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Antonio Torres

Antonio couldn't help but to give a rumbling laugh as the younger man spoke and said that he wouldn't be feeling so clever later today. "Ah, to be so young again that one can exist solely off of caffeine." Antonio well remembered the days. Hell, there were still some days he did it... but it cost him a lot more than it had when he was twenty. When he was twenty, he could just bounce back from it with no issue. He would sleep an extra hour or two to make up. Now, he would drag through an entire week if he tried to pull something like that. It was the price that you paid as your body matured and grew older. "I have to agree. I think it was quite worth it as well." Of course, he could probably go back to sleep at his cousin's house for a short nap and be fine. People always seemed so surprised at the concept of much of Spain shutting down for a few hours so that everyone could rest but it did wonders for your health and your mood. Of course America wouldn't have it, backwards as they could be at times. He only smirked more at the tiny yelp that came from the other man at his actions. Instead of pulling away, however, Reed just shifted closer and threw a leg over him. "If you're awake right now then I most obviously did not do my job right," he teased Reed at his question. The younger man leaned in to kiss him, pressing even closer. "I can be more vigorous, I promise you," Antonio told him. Of course, right now the actions might not quite fully live up to the words simply because he was tired. They were both tired. The performance might not live up to expectations on either end at this point in time although in another hour or so it very well might. It was nice enough to have this teasing going on. It whet the appetite for further fun later on, in his experience.

Antonio continued to watch the young man through half-lidded eyes. It wasn't surprising to him that he had liked Reed from the moment that he saw him. He was handsome - from varying levels of drop-dead sexy to adorable, all in one package - and he was smart. He was quick witted. He supposed one would have to be to be friends with the individuals that Reed was friends with. Antonio had heard sallies and quips being traded back and forth between the three of them - and from his cousin, too - so quickly it was like to make his head spin. He wasn't an unintelligent man but he was a man more of thought and then of passion than he was one of quickfire remarks. "Oh, you are very tempting. Perhaps you don't realize how much." To be fair, Antonio thought just about everyone was tempting. He had always been a man with a healthy appetite and no shortage of lovers. There was always something tempting in almost every human being if you only looked for a few moments. "If I were to begin naming the ways you might tempt me, why, we might be here all day." Not that he particularly minded. He was on vacation, wasn't he? He had nowhere to go. Of course, that wasn't saying the same for Reed. He worked a very different sort of a schedule than the one that Antonio was used to in his own career. He leaned back on the pillows, placing his hands behind his head and quirking an eyebrow just slightly at the younger man at his words. "Well, perhaps you had better hurry then. What if you are gone for six minutes and we find out I cannot last?" he queried, teasing the other man gently. Despite his words, he settled back fairly contently and reclined in the bed as Reed disappeared off towards his kitchen. Antonio was very good at taking any moment he had to rest. You never knew when you might need more energy.

He waited, idly remembering the night before, thinking about potential future fun, and about other things. Many people seemed to think that Antonio was afraid of relationships. His mother was very good about telling him that over and over again. The thing was, he wasn't. It was just that only very few people had ever captivated him in a long term capacity. There had been a few over the years, but they were far and few between. Most of the relationships hadn't lasted simply because, even at the beginning, he hadn't seen them being anything long-term. It was always some little hint or clue that told him it might last a week, a month, a year, maybe even longer, but that eventually they would grow apart. Right now, perhaps a sign or an instinct of his was telling him this might be one that lasted longer than all of that. Though he was hesitant to say forever, it might be the one that managed to do 'for as long as we can'. That was if he was reading things correctly, anyways. He quirked an eyebrow at the other man as he laughed. "Of course it is bitter. Why else do you think you wake up so quickly?" he asked with a low laugh of his own. He smirked slightly at the younger man's words. "I can be a devil, if you wish but, really, I believe you should always expect a chef to make you some form of meal. It's how we show we care, mi cielo." And he did care about him. Honestly, Antonio had cared about almost everyone he tumbled into bed. Maybe not a deep sort of a caring, but he cared enough to want to give them joy and passion even if he hardly knew them... and he knew Reed better than most at this point. He let his eyes dip half-closed again as Reed reached out to run his fingers over his side, just watching him, watching his hand. "For this trip? Another week. For the future? Well, that remains to be seen." He couldn't just throw all caution to the wind and move here on a feeling and neither would he expect Reed to do the same. They could think about it, talk about it, and move forward from there, though.
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Reed Turner

The laugh rolled over him, going as deep as his bones. Everything about Antonio, Reed felt, was practically decadent, so smooth and alluring and inviting with promises of something more. "<b>I'm sure you can still give me a run for my money.</b>" It was hard to remember that Antonio was older. Oh, Reed knew he was on some level. Sydney was older then Reed by at least ten years and he had introduced Antonio as his older cousin. That meant that Antonio wasn't some young chicken and Bailey and Lori were going to have a field day considering what grief he had given them over their partners, but at the same time it was hard to remember that Antonio had years on him. The other man still looked very young to his eyes, but maybe that was because he had people like Algernon or Charisma to compare it to, people that wore their age gracefully but obviously. It was obvious in Algernon's gray hairs and Charisma's eyes. Antonio had none of that, as far as Reed saw. He looked at the older man's face, looked over every bit of it and couldn't find the same signs as the people that lived here. Maybe it was the life of Spain that had treated him so well. He lifted a hand so he could trail a finger over Antonio's check. "<b>I'm glad I could be worth a sleepless night.</b>" And he was. Oh, he had a lot of confidence. It was one skill his parents had pressed on him – be honest about his short comings but never sell himself short in the name of being humble. Never let anyone in the world tell him he was worthless just because this or that. But he couldn't deny the fact that he felt stupidly pleased that Antonio had thought it was all worth it. Antonio was older, after all, and had many more lovers then Reed; he probably had so many people that were more worth it then Reed but that he had been able to compare at all had been nice. He moved his hand to stroke over the strong chest, nuzzling even closer. "<b>Does that mean you have to try again? And again?</b>" He settled against the older man, watching him with eyes that he was sure weren't exactly moonstruck but close to. "<b>Oh, that's a promise I will hold you to, love.</b>" He didn't care if this was expecting more then he was given, if he was called on it, he would just say that he had been half asleep. He didn't think it was a problem, anyway. Declaring that he would want another roll in the bed with Antonio wasn't the same as saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him.
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Reed watched Antonio and he felt like from the moment he had seen the older man that was always doing. He was just tracing the lines of his face, noting just how dark his eyes were, the quirk of his lips when he smirked. It was all almost too much. "<b>Oh go on,</b>" he laughed lightly. It wasn't like Reed thought he was <i>bad</i> looking. He felt he was handsome enough – he made sure his clothes were well fitting and worked for him even they were casual, he spent money at salons to make sure his hair was cut nicely and dyed in a way that made it look natural, he worked out. He was a decent looking man, he felt. He was handsome, he definitely had a league for people to be in or out of, no matter how awful that made him sound to some people. But Antonio seemed entirely different. Maybe it was the age, too. Antonio was older and had far more experience in love then Reed had, not that he was inexperienced. It was just...when he looked at Antonio and listened to the words he spoke, it almost felt like he was a child with a crush on a high schooler. It was like they were leagues separated and Antonio was humoring him. Reed wasn't use to feeling that out of his element. "<b>And let me guess, there are other things to be doing?</b>" he smirked so the words weren't as harsh as they could be. Even as he said them, Reed felt like it was something of a line. One of those lines that you said while your head rested on a pillow and you didn't quite mean everything. Oh they weren't <i>lies</i> exactly, heavens no, but they weren't truths either. They were the things you told yourself in the heat of the moment. 'We might be here all day' had something of an earmark to Reed that had the unspoken idea that they wouldn't say it because polite people never pursued that. One, because you didn't go fishing for compliments. Two, most people knew that there wasn't really that long of a list afterward. It was better to save face. Plus Reed didn't really want to ruin what he was having with Antonio. If he called him on it, either Antonio would have nothing and Reed would be disappointed or Antonio would artfully shift away from the topic. But when Antonio teased him again gently, Reed found he couldn't really care about the lines he was given because they were working. "<b>Then I'll be sure to write a eulogy for the world's greatest love.</b>" With that, he stole a linger kiss that almost convinced him to stay put.
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He wondered how much he would be able to tell Lori. They had never really been the type of friends that shared outrageously <i>intimate</i> details with each other...but they had always shared. Except for Griffin. If he was being honest, there was still a part of him that was hurt by it and wanted to keep Antonio a secret as well. Except he had botched that right up when he texted her. What was worse was he couldn't do that to her, no matter how angry he was. At most he could do was say he wanted some time alone – and Lori, being Lori, would give him that. He dismissed the thoughts of his friend, focusing instead on laughing at what Antonio had said. "<b>I prefer something sweet, that lulls me into wakefulness with sweeter gentleness.</b>" He liked coffee so long as it didn't <i>taste</i> like coffee, the kind of things that he knew were filled with sugar and calories, but it was okay to indulge sometimes. He had never been able to stand the coffee that his colleagues seemed to like – the strong flavor that they took black. It just tasted like dirty water that had gone bad to Reed. "<b>I've never dated a chef before, I didn't realize it was that different.</b>" Honestly all of the people Reed had dated (after high school) had been like him that worked in the office setting of a big business. A chef had never really happened because, well, one of the things he had found was America didn't seem to have a strong need for chefs, or they used the term very liberally for anyone who cooked. There may have been many chefs in fancy, expensive restaurants, but they lived in Kentucky, how many of those was he going to find? It just didn't seem like a reality. He kept his fingers stroking over the smooth skin, watching Antonio watch him. A moment of boldness occurred to him in those moments. "<b>We should do something together. You know, just you and me.</b>" It wasn't like Reed was shy, but he felt like this was a bit more of a risk. The fact of the matter was, though, that he and Antonio hadn't really <i>done</i> much together. Antonio was always there to visit his cousin, which gave Sydney priority, and it was like Reed only saw him at the big Manning get togethers he had a standing invitation to, like Dusty did, as an unofficial member of the family. They hadn't done <i>dates</i> before all this. It seemed almost awkward to suggest.
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Antonio Torres

"In some things, I do not doubt it," Antonio commented, putting a bit of a purr into his voice along with one raised eyebrow. "In staying up all night and then being able to go all day? Well, you might have me beat there." Oh, he might be able to do it but he also might be suffering through the rest of the week for it. Reed was still at the age where he could bounce back from that. There were many things that Antonio considered himself still youthful in. He could still seduce and entertain a lover without falter. He could spend hours in the kitchen, cooking and creating. Nowadays, however, he needed his sleep to go along with everything else. He might not be the oldest of men but his age was slowly creeping up on him in the little things rather than the larger; things like getting up off of the floor when you had knelt down on it, things like needing to go to sleep earlier than you were used to, things like catching yourself shaking your head at younger people. It was a slow, long journey down the hill and he supposed he should be glad it was only those small things and not anything more. He smiled slightly as Reed reached out to stroke lightly along his face. "Oh, I think you are worth more than one sleepless night. I think you are worth many, many things. I cannot, in good conscience, say that the rest of my body might believe that more than one sleepless night is acceptable, however," he told the younger man with a low chuckle. The other man reached out to stroke a hand against his chest and he just pressed in closer in a warm and inviting way, an open way that made Antonio pleased. He had had many lovers over the years and he couldn't deny that there had been some that were less than pleasant once the sex had been done. It was always nice to have someone willing to share your space and just talk with you afterwards. "I believe it means something quite like that, yes," he commented, turning a bit in the bed so that his own leg could tangle with Reed's, just eying the other man and enjoying the view. He gave another low chuckle at Reed's words. "Well, hopefully I can live up to my promises then."

Antonio watched the other man as he watched him, lounging against the bed like some kind of big cat that was contently full but couldn't help but to eye the next delicious dish that was paraded in front of it. If he had possessed a tail, he would have been flicking it lazily. He raised an eyebrow just a little at Reed's light laugh. "You do not believe me?" he questioned, idly. The younger man had seemed full of plenty of confidence in their encounters together. Antonio couldn't begin to imagine that he didn't know how attractive he was. Then again, at some points he had seemed wholly... in awe of Antonio. He wasn't exactly against that because it certainly created an exciting and heady sort of a situation. At the same time, however, he always wanted all of his lovers to realize how amazing they were. Confidence, he had found, was sexier than almost anything in the world. He raised one eyebrow at the other man as he asked if there were other things they might be doing other than his naming all the ways that Reed might tempt him. "Oh, I believe there are plenty of better things we could be doing." He didn't make much of an attempt to disguise just what he meant. It wasn't as if Reed didn't know it. Truthfully, though, there were plenty of things they could be doing that didn't even involve sex. He had enjoyed Reed's company so far. They might spend time just eating a breakfast and talking. They might go for a drive somewhere. Antonio loved his younger cousin quite a lot, but he could admit that he couldn't spend all day and every day with Sydney. He had a job. He had two lovers to keep up with. He had friends. Antonio was a guest and, yes, much of his time was being spent with his cousin but there were times when they both needed a break. Perhaps he would ask for Reed to take him around and show off a different side of things than Antonio had already seen. He enjoyed sex, adored it, really, but he also enjoyed spending other bits of time with people, too. And Reed, he found, was quite enjoyable and knowledgeable in many situations. It sounded like a perfect way to spend time, at least to him. "A cruel man you are," he said with a dramatic sigh as Reed simple said that he would write a eulogy for him and then gave him a kiss that was altogether unfair when the other man was leaving the bed and not coming into it.

He supposed, at some point, he would have to call his cousin. Sydney wasn't likely to be too worried - after all, Antonio and Reed had been flirting around one another for quite some time - but it was the act of a good guest and a good family member to assure the other that you weren't dead or injured somewhere. "Bah," Antonio waved a dismissive hand at the younger man as he returned with a light laugh. "What is the point of that? You need to be awake right then, no? You need a kick." Truthfully, Antonio had tried all types of coffees and teas. It was his passion as a chef, after all, to try new things and to learn new flavors. It was just that, personally, he preferred the strong kick of strong, black coffee than he did to anything else when he needed a quick pick-me-up. At his age, the stronger the better. "Oh, mio cielo, it is very different indeed," he purred the words out. All of the chefs that Antonio had met were vastly different people and vastly different personalities but for one thing; they loved to cook and the best way for them to express their passions and their admiration was to shower those they loved with delectable meals and seductive treats. It was certainly one of his favorite ways, anyways. He let the soft touch of Reed's fingers lull him a bit before the younger man spoke. He raised an eyebrow a little at the other man's statement before he just gave a small smile. "What would you like to do then?" Because he enjoyed Reed's company and he had been contemplating it himself. It was nice to have the subject broached for him. It meant that there would definitely be no protest from either side.
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Reed Turner

"<b>Have I mentioned I like a man with confidence?</b>" It was a very fine line, Reed had realized years ago, between confidence and false pride. In fact, most of the time they were almost completely indistinguishable, if not for a few choice differences. Those with false pride seemed hung up on what people thought, always looking, always checking. Confidence was something easy as if one didn't care if someone believed them or not. It was very nice to see in a man. "<b>I bet you'll do just fine,</B>" he teased. But then again, his parents had spent many years telling him things would be different as he got older. He wouldn't be able to eat as much (nor would he want to), he'd tire out easily, getting up from a crouched position was suddenly going to be harder, and he wouldn't just be able to bounce back from a rough night of sleep. Reed had scoffed at them, even when he had heard his colleagues complain how they had missed a few hours of sleep <i>nights</i> ago and they were still feeling the effect. It still seemed like a distant thought...though, apparently, it had for everyone until that one day where they did something they were use to and they just couldn't anymore. "<b>You are an amazing charmer. Is it a family trait? I seem to remember your cousin being particularly charming as well.</b>" He had met Sydney off and on through various get togethers with Bailey and Sydney had always been very charming...just not interested. Maybe Reed had his own little prejudices to deal with because, honestly, when he had heard he was with Bailey and Ben, he had assumed that Sydney might have an interest in him. Instead he was apparently not the older man's type, but he had continued knowing exactly what to say in all the right ways. "<b>But you also sound like a terrible quitter.</b>" He still settled more against Antonio, hoping that was enough of a way to tell him that he was teasing and that he wasn't exactly expecting him to give up another night. "<b>Oh, I seem to be lucking out today, aren't I?</b>" He could feel Antonio's leg tangling with his own and he felt sleepy enough that he almost wanted to say he couldn't even begin to figure out where he began and Antonio ended and he loved it. The problem with even thinking that was the fact that it was all a bit of a rush to go declaring such things. "<b>Oh you more than have all ready. Anything after this is extra credit and a bit of a show off.</b>"
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Antonio was perfection lying in that bed. He was the kind of man that make anyone doubt themselves for half a second. Not because he meant to, no, but because...well, look at him. "<b>Let's just say my parents taught me that false pride tends to get someone no where.</b>" It was a sliding scale, he supposed. He knew he was attractive; he knew well enough that he had been able to scoff over someone else wanting to be with him (which Lori had gone "Reed" in that way of hers that said she was a little bit scandalized, but mostly just exasperated). But he had always firmly believed in a number system; a ten didn't interact with a five unless they had something <i>very</i> nice to provide – some of which was personality or money, even though Lori always seemed scandalized about that. In that same turn, an eleven didn't mess around with a ten either, so...Antonio was probably a number in the triple digits; he was handsome and he had that accent, he was charming and seductive. He was...perfect, it felt like. Of course Reed would stumble because all the people he had dated before had been mere boys. Just people his age playing at being adults and who were bland and boring. They hadn't excited him. While Reed had thought that unkindly about most of them, he also recognized that he couldn't exactly cast stones. While he had found some of his boyfriends boring, he knew that he wasn't exactly a prize either. He might be too whiny, he might be too high maintenance, he might not be attractive enough to continue a relationship with. He wasn't exactly going to be shocked and broken hearted if someone broke up with him first going "I can't deal with you". "<b>I quite like the sound of that.</b>" And he did. Not just the sex because, while the sex was good, Reed couldn't imagine having only that with someone. He wasn't saying he <i>hadn't</i> done that before, but that had been...booty calls, not actual relationships. He didn't know if he and Antonio were going to have a relationship considering he still was going to be going back to Spain, but he felt that it was a little bit more than a booty call. Reed had always liked the side time with people too. That was why he loved the fact that he was friends with Bailey and Lori; they had made his life all the more fun, they meshed with him and kept him on his toes. "<b>I think I'm a lovely man who will say wonderful things about you,</b>" he teased as Antonio sighed.
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Soon he would talk to Lori, he told himself, after Antonio went back to Spain. She'd understand. Or if she didn't understand, she'd reason with herself that she had done much the same with Griffin and wouldn't cast stones. "<b>The point is I don't want my choices to be have something undrinkable or drink it so fast I don't get to taste it.</b>" Truthfully, there had been days he had done that. Normally he loved to get his drinks with the sweetness, but there were days when he just couldn't wait around or he couldn't even stop and he had to get coffee at work. Those were the days he asked for only half a cup of coffee, filled it with milk, and downed it so fast he only had to deal with the cringe once. He supposed he just didn't have the right palate for drinking coffee...or tea, sometimes. He had taught Lori how to drink tea, but it was such a delicate thing. He couldn't be like some of the people that just drank it straight or the ones who left their tea bag in the water or anything like that. He raised an eyebrow as Antonio purred at him, trying not to squirm at the pet name. It was going to be his undoing, he felt. He was going to be undone by a silly little pet name because it was something no one had ever bestowed on him. "<b>Oh ho, well now I have something to look forward to.</b>" Except...were they dating? Was this an actual dating thing they were going to do? Were they going to try long distance like Lori and Griffin had? Truthfully he didn't think it would work out; Reed had too much here and Antonio had too much there. How could this be a date? How could they be "dating"? Or was it because Reed had said he hadn't dated a chef before? That was more likely than anything else. At the very least, this was just turning out to be making sure they had something that wasn't bitter and angry down the road. "<b>Well, what has Sydney shown you? He doesn't seem like the type that knows what there is in Kentucky to show off to someone visiting.</b>" Because Sydney was always going to be a New Yorker; he was always going to know the big city. Put him in Paris, Kentucky and he'd not have a clue what to show off.
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Antonio Torres

"I believe you have. Why do you think I have put my best foot forward?" Antonio asked him with a light chuckle. He was always a confident man. He had been a confident child and situations and circumstances in his life hadn't done much to take that confidence away from him. When it came to men and women, to flirting and to the bedroom, Antonio felt doubly confident. He supposed it was a bit much to say that God sometimes chose men or women to be very, very good at things like that but... some days it felt like it was some sort of natural ability rather than just years of practice. Then again, there was satyr in the bloodline and there were all sorts of myths and legends about what they got up to. Perhaps it was just inherited. "I suppose it is also nice to have such confidence in me," he said as the younger man teased him about the fact that he would do just fine without as much sleep. Personally, Antonio still wasn't so sure about that but he had things such as coffee to give him the illusion... and Antonio was a Spaniard. They could never let a good challenge go by without trying to meet it and trying to appear like he was doing just fine in said challenge. "Hmm... not something a man wants to hear, mio cielo. That his cousin is also charming." He arched an eyebrow at Reed at that before he smirked. "I suppose it is somewhere in our genes. Perhaps simply because we are Spanish." After all, there were plenty of stereotypes about Spanish men and women and being charming, flirty lovers. "Hm... I believe it would be more of a good thing for you were I to get more sleep. I would be even better than if I did not," he told the other man, moving a hand to lightly tap against his nose at the tease. He gave another chuckle as Reed happily tangled their legs together further and said that he seemed to be lucking out. "Perhaps it is a bit too confident of me to say that indeed you are," he purred the words out again. It was maybe egotistical but he knew what he did was good and yes, he considered the other man lucky that Antonio wanted to continue this so far - just like he felt lucky that the younger man wanted to do so as well. "Haven't I mentioned that I am a show off?" he countered Reed's words with a slow smirk. It was true, to a degree... and it was never more true than when he wanted to show off for someone that he was interested in.

"It is not false pride when it's true," Antonio pointed out to the other man. "I am a man of compliments, mio cielo, but that doesn't make the compliments untrue." Many people had a problem with that. They thought that because Antonio was complimenting most people that he was just saying it to be nice. Oh, in some ways he was; everyone deserved a compliment after all, didn't they? But mostly he was doing it because he thought it was true. Not everyone was to his personal tastes, certainly, but that didn't mean people weren't beautiful or attractive either. He usually found something very nice to look at or to enjoy in every person that he met, even if he had no actual desire for them. "Ah, that is good to hear." Antonio loved sex and most sexual related activities. That was always going to be a fact. He also was not a stranger to things such as one night stands. He had engaged in several of those over the years. He was not a stranger to enjoying other things with someone, though. Making breakfast, going out for coffee, even something as simple and domestic as folding the laundry together. Antonio was surprisingly good at enjoying intimacies of other natures. It was just that he so rarely ever had the chance to do so. "Ah, but a cruel man to tease so and then leave me wanting," he told the younger man with a cluck of his tongue at him. No one ever believed Antonio when he said he didn't mind and even enjoyed relationships. He liked finding someone that meshed well with him in multiple ways. It had just been his bad luck to have never found someone who was permanently suited for him. Maybe Reed would be that man... and maybe he wouldn't. Only time would tell how far they were both willing to go and where things might take them.

Antonio gave another click of the tongue at the younger man as he said that the point was to have something drinkable. "Ah, but I think the same of the sweet things the Americans are so fond of." He had grown up with the coffee of Spain. The ones in America were such a culture shock, honestly. They were so large and full of so many things that it didn't even taste like coffee anymore. Antonio supposed that was the point for some people but then why even bother drinking it? He had sampled many things in his years as a chef and in his travels... and if he didn't like it then he no longer ate or drank it. To him, it was as simple as that. Some people, he supposed, were gluttons for punishment however. He gave another low chuckle at Reed's raised eyebrow. "Chefs show their loves in many ways. Food being one of them. I am very expert at many ways of doing that... and, I suppose, at making a very decent meal as well." He had made sensual, tantalizing meals that were meant to excite and stimulate before and he would have no qualms in doing so again. Reed, he thought, might even enjoy something exotic like that. He supposed he shouldn't tease and promise so much. They hadn't defined anything, after all. It was very hard to not settle, though. "Ah, not much," he admitted. "In fact, several times he has quite woefully lamented at the lack of things to do." His last words held amusement in them. His lovers and their family seemed to be able to find plenty of things to do here. It was just that Sydney was quite known for the dramatic and for adding flair to everything. To him, there probably was nothing to do... at least until he got into a larger city. He wasn't the type to go for a hike or a swim in the woods, after all. Antonio was... somewhat in the middle, he supposed and therefore he would find more to do than his cousin might.
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Reed Turner

"<b>I thought that's just how you were naturally.</b>" It seemed like it could have been part of Antonio's DNA at this point, that he was just a man who had confidence. There were a few sorts that were like that, though it seemed like a rare trait. It seemed most people were either faking the confidence or they had stepped into the realm of arrogance. It was easy to toe that line, he knew. It had taken him a lot of years (and a lot of failed relationships) before he understood what was bragging and what was merely fact. Then again, he supposed it also depended on the person. While Reed would call what Antonio had as confidence, Bailey or Lori could say that it was arrogance (Bailey more than likely would say it up front, Lori would find a private moment to say as such). Either way, he supposed it was arrogant of <i>Reed</i> to think but he was the one that mattered right now. He reached out to pat Antonio's chest, but the move was left half way unfinished because Reed couldn't resist letting his hand draw down in a stroke. "<b>Oh I have more than confidence when it comes to you.</b>" That was pushing it, a little bit he supposed, but he had still said. Honestly, though, he knew that Antonio could probably go without a little extra sleep because he was on holiday right now. He wasn't working, so he could take a nap whenever he saw fit. He just would have to worry about messing up his sleeping schedule for when he went home...but then again, the time difference probably all ready did that for him. "<b>Oh don't worry, he has made it <i>abundantly</i> clear I am not his type. And I didn't even try hitting on him.</b>" He supposed that was because Sydney had set his sights on Bailey and Ben from the beginning and it seemed to be a group agreement on who was welcomed into the fold for even a night. Which was fine, Reed had never been particularly interested in those sorts of relationships. "<b>Isn't that a bit stereotyping?</b>" he raised an eyebrow. "<b>That's like saying because I'm British I'm very polite until someone turns there backs. I mean it's <i>true</i> but still.</b>" He was never sure, honestly, what was just a stereotype and what something based on fact. Lori had had some, Reed had had some but most of the stuff had turned out to be marginally true. Was that the difference? Did it only matter if someone of the culture commented on it? He wrinkled his nose as Antonio tapped it. "<b>You know,</b>" he pointed out, "<b>that only counts if you give a subpar performance. I get the feeling your 'even better' might kill me.</b>" He let himself rest there, rest against Antonio as the man said it was a bit too confident to agree. "<b>Maybe if you were saying it to someone like Bailey. I'm a bit biased, as it were.</b>" He liked how confident Antonio was in that because it was <i>him</i> who got to benefit from that. Anyone else could call it arrogance, but he didn't care. "<b>I don't think you've mentioned it, but I've seen the subtle signs.</b>" And Reed <i>loved</i> it. He liked to think it was a normal response, honestly, to an attractive someone who was showing off specifically for you.
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"<b>Oh I know I'm handsome,</b>" he finally offered. "<b>I am definitely a ten.</b>" That had a bit of a taste of arrogance but his parents had always been the type that had rushed to be humble and Reed had always felt he should be too. "<b>But that doesn't change the fact that you're a twenty, love. Forgive a mere ten for being a bit bashful on the idea that he can stand next to a twenty.</b>" Looks had also been something his parents had tried to wean him away from. A handsome might be nice, they would tell him awkwardly, but he would want someone who liked him for his personality, for how beautiful his smile was when he laughed and that they had the same end goals. It had made reed feel a bit odd to know that it had always been something he looked for. Oh he wouldn't deny that he wanted someone he got along with, someone who didn't think he was annoying and liked enough of the same stuff that they'd have compromises that were easy. But attractiveness had been important. Lori had always shrugged and said it hadn't much mattered to her, but at least Bailey had thrown in that she was only going to date someone attractive. "<b>I like the way you think, it's very on the same wavelength as me.</b>" Of course...that would only matter if this was a one night thing, if this was just for the few days Antonio was here and then they'd be perfect strangers. Right now, it was an okay thing to say there were better things to do than talk, but maybe Reed was pushing at things that didn't need to pushed at. Where was the line, he wanted to ask. When did they assume they needed to talk about the idea of what they were to each other, when did they just let things go? Reed didn't want to lose this just because they had assumed the other had only been interested in just the sex. But how did they go about bringing up 'so where do we see ourselves' without sounding like they were jumping to conclusions? "<b>It makes you all the more eager for when I return,</b>" he tossed over his shoulder. It was fun teasing Antonio, he realized, even when he felt like Antonio was a couple of steps ahead of him. Reed wasn't lagging, certainly, but sometimes...
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Antonio clicked his tongue at him again, a sound that Reed found he could get use to because it made him laugh. "<b>Look, Americans are children, you have to adapt or pretend you like coffee that's been sitting out for five hours.</b>" Not that Reed could exactly talk. He had been raised in America, probably the only reason he had kept his accent was because holidays and summers were spent in England. He was a bit of an oddity – on the outside properly British, but he had heard people back home he was American through and through. He could say he adapted to the coffee of America, but who was to say he wasn't just as childish as the Americans? He couldn't deny he did like to have his sweet drink with little candies on top. He told himself it was because that was usually breakfast and not something he told himself was healthy and he could eat while drinking it. "<b>Well, don't I have something to look forward to?</b>" And he was, he found himself realizing. Antonio was unlike any man he had dated before (if they were dating). All the men he had dated before had been the sorts who either worked as much as him, which didn't leave much for even seeing each other, or they <i>whined</i> at Reed about not getting to see him, rather than making him stop and think about how he might <i>want</i> to see them. Lori had given him a look when he had announced he had broken up with one of those types, asking him what he had expected the other man to do? And she doubted they whined, she always pointed out, but Reed needed to comfort himself. But Antonio...Antonio was enticing, tempting, making him want to pay attention. "<b>He's such a New Yorker,</b>" Reed couldn't help but laugh. He had heard Bailey call Sydney a prissy cat when she was particularly annoyed, but it had fit him. "<b>Of course he'd say that...Unfortunately he's a bit right when it comes to Paris. At least not anything that anyone would be properly impressed with unless they liked quaint things. Some of the top sights to see is a brewing company, an antiques store, a museum...and a boat dock.</b>" He gave a sigh and a shake of his head. There had been a reason he had moved to Lexington, not that it had a stellar much more to see. "<b>But if you're a fan of traditional riding, there's some lovely woods to ride around in on the Manning homestead. I have my own horse and the Mannings always have horses to lend out. Or you could ask Sydney. I know he has a horse despite the fact he can't even stand Bailey's cat's fur.</b>"
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Antonio Torres

"Mm, somewhat. But not quite the same." He had always been a very confident man, he couldn't deny that. He walked into a room and he was sure people were looking. He made choices and he was confident that he had made the correct choice. He moved through life feeling that way... but that didn't mean he didn't put on a show when he wanted to impress someone. He was very capable of stepping up the amount of confidence and swagger that he could put out. He had been told before that when he wanted to, he could move like a tiger or a lion; like some sort of predator stalking its prey. That was the point, though. It was only when he wanted to and it was when he was doing it for a reason. He didn't do that in his day to day time. Still, even without showing it off he still exuded confidence. He had been called an arrogant man more than once but he had shrugged it off. Arrogance, he felt, was in actively bragging about yourself and what you did. Confidence was just exhibiting that you could do it. He watched Reed with half-lidded eyes as he reached up to pat his chest and then just stroked his hand there. "Even better," he said in response to the words. He smiled a little as Reed spoke and assured him that he had never tried to hit on Sydney and that Sydney had wanted nothing to do with Reed. It was almost surprising, really. Antonio and the rest of the family had almost essentially formed the opinion that Sydney would date anyone and everyone. Still, he supposed that everyone had their preferences. He was just glad that Sydney's hadn't trended towards this man otherwise he might have been very disappointed. "That is very good to hear. I might have been jealous." If he hadn't gotten to know Reed he might not have cared, but now? Now he would have been. He wasn't what one would call a "sharing" man, after all. He gave another chuckle at Reed's words. "If it is true, is it not a stereotype for a reason?" he countered. Oh, he was sure not all Spanish men were passionate lovers who slid into beds... but it happened. It seemed to happen a lot within his family and Reed had just admitted to doing what was a stereotype for his own country. He smiled as Reed wrinkled his nose at his action and then gave a deep chuckle. "You flatter me, mio cielo." Antonio was pleased... although he supposed he wasn't exactly flattered. He had a great opinion of his own skill after all, although he was quite sure that Reed was exaggerating somewhat. He watched the other man as he rested against his chest and he smiled slowly at he only encouraged Antonio's words. "Ah, you do very good for my ego," he told the younger man. He didn't think himself old but, well, some people would. It was nice to hear that he was still a young man in many areas. "That, mio cielo, is because I was showing off for you," he commented with another light tap against Reed's nose as he commented that he had seen the subtle signs of Antonio showing off.

"Ah, you see," Antonio commented as Reed offered that he knew he was handsome. "Confidence is attractive," he told the younger man. He couldn't stop himself from eying the other man again with pleasure. He had loved Reed's looks from the moment that they had met but there was definitely something to be said for disheveled morning after look combined with confidence about his attractiveness. He laughed when Reed continued on, though. "Twenty! I think that's a bit much." He was confident in his looks, but it wasn't as if he were a Greek god. He was getting older. Not everything was as fit and trim as it might have been when he were twenty. He was pleased that Reed felt he was handsome, though. It was a nice thing to hear. Had he been returning enough compliments. "I believe we're quite on par with one another," he told the younger man, reaching out to brush hair from his face gently. "In more ways than one," he said as Reed said that he was on the same wavelength as he was. He had found that was actually fairly true. Not always, of course, but most of the time when they were talking they agreed on things and not just sex. He was almost hesitant to say that they were a good permanent sort of a match but it felt that way. Should he bring it up? But he would be going home soon. Maybe Reed wouldn't want to pursue an interest that kept disappearing to another country. Maybe Antonio wouldn't want to pursue someone who remained in America. "Of that you can have little doubt," Antonio told the other man as he teased him. He let his eyes feast on the younger man as he teasingly walked away from him. It was crude of him, but he could definitely say that he enjoyed the view although he would have preferred that Reed stay right where he was. At least he wasn't gone long, though.

It was Antonio's turn to wrinkle his nose at Reed's laugh and at the words that he said. He had never quite considered himself stuck up when it came to food but, well, he supposed being a chef and sampling gourmet from around the world had probably skewed him in that direction. "That is the least attractive thing you have ever said to me," he told the younger man. "The coffee from Spain, it is perhaps not as good as from France or Italy but... it doesn't taste like that," he added some reserved disgust to his words before he shook his head a little, almost mournfully. There were better things to be drinking than that, he felt. "Oh, you do," he told him with pleasure. He supposed his words suggested that they were dating - which they may or may not be at this point - but that was okay. Antonio found that he would very much enjoy whatever it was that they had, whether it lasted a day or a lifetime. That, he supposed, was a sign probably. Right now, he didn't want to rock the boat though. He would rather think of tantalizing meals and promises than in defining things. Antonio gave a chuckle at the words. "He is a man who has his likes and his desires and he wants them to be very firmly there for him to indulge in," he said with a smile. He loved his cousin, but Sydney had gotten a bit spoiled over the years. Antonio supposed it wasn't really harming anything though. He turned his gaze more fully onto Reed as he spoke and said that it could be a bit dull in the surrounding area. "I can't remember if I ever have done it," he admitted after a moment. "I am always up for challenges and adventures, however." He paused for a moment as Reed dropped a nugget of information. "We are talking about the same man that I grew up with?" Antonio asked as Reed revealed that his cousin had a horse of his own as well. That was not something he could easily believe.
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