Roommates With Benefits [BL]

•⋅⊰∙∘☾✶☽∘∙⊱⋅•✾•⋅⊰∙∘☾✶☽∘∙⊱⋅•

Maybe that was what was making me nervous, and we ended up chatting about the wedding again.

"Do you think this Joey will survive marriage?" Connor asked.

I thought about it seriously. "I think Natasha will."

He chuckled. "I’ve only known him for a day and I’m already worried."

"Trust me, you haven’t seen his full potential."

We both laughed, and our conversation shifted from Joey and Natasha to relationships in general.

Connor watched the newlyweds dancing across the room. "They look happy."

"They do."

"Do you ever want that?"

I looked at him. "Marriage?"

He nodded and I took a small sip. "I don’t know."

It was probably the most honest answer I had given anyone in a long time.

"I used to think about it differently as a teenager," I admitted. "Now I’m just not sure. But I really don’t care either way if I’m married or not."

Connor nodded thoughtfully. "I wouldn’t mind it."

"Really?"

"Someday. With the right person."

I smiled. "That sounds almost surprisingly reasonable."

"I’m a reasonable guy."

"That’s a bold statement to make after knowing me for less than an hour."

He chuckled. "I guess you’ll just have to find out."

And, against my better judgment, I smiled back, maybe this wasn’t such a terrible idea after all.

Then a voice came over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the bouquet toss!"

The music changed and bunch of unmarried women immediately started gathering near the dance floor.

I took a step back and Connor looked at me. "Are you participating?"

I stared at him. "Do I fucking look like I belong in that group?"

He glanced toward the women gathering, then back at me. "I was thinking no.

We laughed and I watched as Natasha took the bouquet from someone and walked to the center of the room. Joey stood a few feet away, laughing as she turned.

Natasha looked nervous.

"Are you sure you’re supposed to throw it that hard?" Joey called out.

She shot him a glare. "Be quiet!"

Everyone laughed and Natasha took a deep breath and tossed the bouquet.

Unfortunately, she seemed to think bouquet tossing was an Olympic sport because the flowers soared right over the heads of the waiting women. Someone screamed and someone else ducked.

Then the bouquet hit me directly in the face.

The impact wasn’t painful, but it was definitely humiliating while I just stood there, completely stunned.

The bouquet bounced off my nose, my hands shot up instinctively.

And somehow, I actually caught it and laughter erupted in the room.

Connor doubled over. "Oh my God!"

I stared at the flowers in my hands. "What the shit?"

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Looks like you’re next!"

Another person yelled, "The best man is getting married!"

I rolled my eyes, laughing despite myself. "Fantastic."

Connor was still laughing and Natasha hurried over, laughing so hard she could barely apologize.

"I’m so sorry!"

"You almost killed me."

"I got nervous!" She covered her mouth, laughing. "I didn’t mean to!"

I handed the bouquet back. "Please don’t aim for me again."

"I promise."

She turned and tossed it again, this time, one of the bridesmaids caught it properly and everyone cheered.

I shook my head. "I’ve had enough excitement for one night."

Connor smiled. "I don’t know. I found it pretty entertaining."

"Of course you did."

He grinned, then the music shifted again.

A slower song started playing and the couples began moving toward the dance floor.

Connor looked at me. "Would you like to dance?"

My first instinct was to decline, I almost did infact. But then I remembered Maya’s words.

You deserve to be happy too and I looked at Connor’s outstretched hand, he wasn’t pressuring me. He was just waiting...so, I placed my hand in his.

"Okay."

His fingers closed around mine gently and we walked onto the dance floor.

For the first few seconds, I felt ridiculous. This wasn’t something I was used to...slow dancing with a guy.

Connor placed one hand lightly on my waist while keeping the other around my hand, giving me enough space that I didn’t feel cornered.

I could feel warmth creeping into my cheeks.

"This is awkward," I whispered.

He smiled. "A little. Thanks for agreeing to this."

"I thought you were supposed to make me feel better!"

Some of the nervousness began to fade.

We swayed gently to the music, surrounded by couples dancing beneath the warm lights.

Connor cracked a joke about Joey’s terrible dancing, and I laughed again.

For a few moments, I forgot everything else, I forgot about the past, about Damien, about the rumors that he might be involved with a woman now.

I simply stood there with someone new, sharing quiet laughter while we danced at my best friend’s wedding.

And for the first time in so long, the idea of moving forward didn’t seem completely impossible.

Then the ballroom doors opened.

At first, I didn’t even notice, after all the music was still playing.

Connor was saying something to me, and I was laughing at whatever silly comment he had made when suddenly the room shifted.

People started turning and conversations faded, someone near the entrance whispered something and another person gasped.

I frowned as Connor looked over my shoulder and his expression changed.

I followed his gaze, but before I could see what had everyone’s attention, I felt someone touch my shoulder.

"Oliver."

I turned and Maya stood behind me, her face pale, she stared at me for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to say anything.

Then she leaned closer. "Umm... you might want to see this, babe."

My smile vanished. "What?"

She didn’t reply, she simply moved aside. So naturally looked toward the entrance and everything inside me froze.

Damien Lockwood was standing there and for a moment, my brain couldn’t comprehend what my eyes were seeing.

His dark hair was styled neatly, longer than I remembered, brushed away from his face.

His features looked sharper than they had in our youth, his expression calm and unreadable, and that expensive black suit he wore seemed painfully appropriate for the man he had become.

He wasn’t the guy who had once stood in the doorway of Room 25 and quietly told me no to being his roommate.

He was the CEO I had seen on television, the figure whose photo appeared in newspapers.

The man everyone seemed to recognize.

Two men stood several steps behind him, clearly security, but they kept enough distance to make it feel discreet rather than showy.

Damien didn’t need any grand introduction, the room had already done that for him.

People were whispering and some were openly staring, someone said his name.

I could barely hear it, my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it reverberating in my throat.

Connor was still holding my hand and his other hand rested lightly on my waist. Suddenly, that felt painfully obvious.

Damien’s gaze swept through the room, slowly and calmly.

Then his eyes found mine.