Richard sighed as he settled in at the desk in a different hotel room. He shouldn’t have flown out a week early, but he was going stir crazy at the office. His new assistant thought she was the boss, not him, and she did her job too well for him to even consider firing her. All the same, taking the full week ‘to catch up with old colleagues’ was approved by her and he got a week away from the office.

He’d brought some work from the office, to Natalie’s disappointment, but now he couldn’t stop thinking about Cio.

He couldn’t stop beating himself up over what he did to Cio.

Cio was in college and they were both, if not drunk, then buzzed enough that Richard shouldn’t have let anything happen. He took advantage of a college kid. He slept with a drunk college kid. Sure, Cio was more than happy at the time, but then he was running out the door as soon as he had his wits about him again. Richard even asked him to stay. He’d fought against asking, especially when it was so obvious that Cio wanted to leave as quickly as he could, but then he’d given in. Richard wanted to get back in bed with him. He wanted to pull him close and run his hands down Cio’s soft skin again. Cio shot it down though and told him more than enough about what that encounter was to Cio.

He couldn’t even resist one more kiss. He couldn’t resist tangling his hand in Cio’s hair, which was just as soft as it looked. Then the door closed and that was that. Richard needed to get him out of his mind. He eyed the minibar in his room. Everything in it was ridiculously overpriced and he was in a college town which meant there was at least one liquor store within a block of him.

He sighed and grabbed his wallet. A bottle of whiskey would help him get through the week, then it would be business as usual once he was home.

*~*~*

Cio was certain he was going to pass out. It was hot in the stadium. It was a fucking sauna once you added in the graduation robes. There hadn’t even been a hint of a breeze to give them relief. Not a single sign of a cloud in the sky. It was hot and humid and he was really regretting not skipping graduation as he had planned before.

They sat there in rows of matching robes and hats with tassels hanging beside their faces. Sure, it was part of their ‘reward’ for four years of hard work. But Cio still had two more to go for his masters, his hard work wasn’t over yet. His sister insisted he enjoy this, though. She wanted to see him do what she hadn’t been able to do herself, and he couldn’t find it in himself to deny her the opportunity.

So he sat. He sweated. He ignored the important people saying their bit. Until a voice, a little warped through the speakers, but still very recognizable reached him. Cio’s eyes darted up, off the hat of the person in front of him and, for the first time since people started talking, he looked at the stage.

His one night stand from a week ago was giving the commencement speech. His one night stand that he hadn’t managed to forget a single second of, was up there talking about how far everyone had come and what bright futures everyone had with a large, fake smile plastered on his face.

Or maybe it wasn’t fake. Maybe last weekend was the fake part of Richard and the guy up there smiling was the real him. Cio leaned to the guy next to him. “Who’s the speaker?” he whispered.

The guy just gave him a disgusted look. Cio returned the look and leaned the other direction to ask the same question. The girl on the other side looked as bored as Cio had been. “Richard Price, I think they said. I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Richard Price. As in Price Labs?”

“Dude, I don’t know. I just want this to be done.”

The guy on his other side cleared his throat pointedly and Cio sat back up. Richard Price, of Price Labs, slept with him seven days ago. It didn’t feel real. How did he even manage to catch Richard’s eye… and oh god. He’d explained, in detail, his plans for his Master’s degree and thesis. Oh. Fucking. Christ.

He stared at Richard on the stage. Or Dr. Price. Oh my god. Dr. Price sucked his dick. Was he going into shock? Was this what shock felt like? Richard ended his speech and took his seat. Cio couldn’t have repeated a single word of what was said.

The rest of his graduation passed in an overheated blur. It wasn’t until the end, when family members were crowding around looking for their own and he heard his sister, Amelia, calling, “Hermanito!” that he was knocked out of the fog surrounding him. “Felicidades, hermanito.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His little niece cooed at him from her hip. He reached out for her and she laughed as he pulled her into his arms instead.

“You’re getting big, aren’t you, sobrina?”

“She’s never going to learn her name. Everyone calls her something different,” Amelia said.

“We’re all just excited to have a baby girl in the family.”

“Mhmm. Still, Sylvia.” She held out each bit of the name and cooed it at Sylvia. “Can you say Sylvia?”

Sylvia squealed and flapped her arms before tucking her head onto Cio’s shoulder. Cio laughed. “Mi sobrina.” He pressed a soft kiss to her head and listened to her happy sounds. He turned his attention back to his sister, Amelia. “I slept with Dr. Richard Price.”

The smile froze on her face. “What?” She glanced around, but everyone was distracted with their own families.

“Yeah. Didn’t know who he was until he got up to speak today.”

“What?” Her voice was sharper this time. “What do you mean you didn’t know who he was when you slept with him? Cio! That’s not safe!”

“We used a condom!” He hissed and reached out to pull her away from the people who turned to look at her raised voice. “Look, just. It just happened, all right. I was at the bar, there was this creep, and Rich-Dr. Price, was in the right place at the right time to help out. Then we started drinking and talking and, Ames, it was fantastic.”

Amelia was shaking her head. She looked out into the crowd. “Ok. Did you want to find Dr. Price and talk to him?”

“No!” He was aghast. “Are you kidding? He has one of the best labs in the country. It’s a dream to get hired at Price Labs!”

“And you didn’t know what he looked like?”

“No. Do you know what the people who own companies you like look like?”

Amelia snorted. “No. But I think maybe I should after this. Please tell me you told him how much you wanted to work at his company after you graduate.”

“Oh my god, Ames. I think I did. Why didn’t he say who he was then? What’s it going to look like now though? It’s going to look like I’m applying there because I slept with him and then what?”

“Then what?” She shrugged. “If he doesn’t hire you then it’s bullshit. You can suck his dick but not work at his company?”

“I didn’t actually suck his dick. He was very, ah, generous. Besides, dick sucking and biomedical engineering require some pretty different skill sets.”

“Rude, Cio.” Amelia laughed. “All right. Well, you had fun. It’s going to be like two more years until you’re even applying. He’ll probably have forgotten all about the college twink he slept with and you’ll be able to dazzle him with your mad biomedical knowledge.”

“Not a twink.” He didn’t know what else to say.

“Eh, whatever you’re considered in the gay community, then. Besides, he probably does this all the time. Does a speech at a college then goes cruising for young guys… Which now that I say that, I mean, that’s creepy.” She tugged Sylvia’s sock up. “Maybe you shouldn’t work for his company.”

Cio was shaking his head. “No. I mean, maybe. I guess he could just be a good actor but -”

“Shh! We’ll talk later.”

He was about to ask why, but then he heard the voices growing louder. “Tío Cio! Tío Cio!” Repeatedly. At least the people around looked amused by the loud and obnoxious boys running through them. Cio handed Sylvia back over and kneeled down to receive hugs from his nephews. “Sobrino, sobrinito.” He squeezed them both. “I thought you weren’t coming?”

“Mamá let us come anyway. She said ‘Tío Cio worked real hard -”

“Really hard,” Amelia corrected.

“Really hard,” George agreed. “And he should have his favorite family members there to celebrate with.”

“Oh, yeah?” Cio looked to Amelia for confirmation.

She grinned at him. “Close enough. Unfortunately, hermano is here too.”

“Unfortunately your ass.” That was Daniel, his brother’s voice. Cio looked up to see him and his girlfriend, Clara, striding up behind them.

His brother was in a suit, as usual. Clara was wearing a tight, pale blue shirt and an orange maxi skirt. The outline of the top of her colostomy bag was clearly visible under her shirt, but the flowy maxi shirt hid most of it. Cio stood and went in for a hug. She returned it. “I wish Beth could have made it.”

“Me too.”

He squeezed her extra hard then let go. Cio stepped back and was a little overwhelmed at the show of support from his siblings. His parents weren’t there. His aunt and uncle weren’t there. His grandparents definitely weren’t there. But he could always count on these two. Feeling stupid for the burst of emotion, he coughed and reached back out for Sylvia. Amelia happily handed her over.

“So. Grab a late lunch and I’ll show you guys around campus?”

“Pictures first, Cio. Where’s the alma statue thing that colleges have?”

Cio snorted. “All right. We can grab a couple photos by the ‘alma statue thing’ on our way to lunch. But I’m shedding this thing as soon as we’re done.”

That was agreeable to everyone so they made their way to the alma mater statue and waited (mostly) patiently while other groups got their photos done. Amelia took a group photo for another group so they waited behind and snapped a couple for Amelia.

Cio had never been so happy to get undressed before. His mind flashed to last weekend and he amended, he’d almost never been so happy to get undressed. Though now that memory was tainted, slightly, by his confusion over whether he was just another notch in Dr. Price’s belt or if the connection he’d felt was more… real.

He supposed it didn’t really matter in the long run. Richard and he hadn’t exchanged any form of contact information. Hell, he hadn’t even known Richard’s last name. Did he even tell Richard his name was Mauricio? Or did he just introduce himself as Cio? He didn’t remember.

They went to the diner that Cio loved and was going to miss when he moved for his Master’s. Amelia got the boys settled and their food ordered then dug out a blanket to cover up and feed Sylvia. She hid her smile and winked at Cio when they both saw Daniel quickly look away.

“So when are you moving back home?” Amelia asked Cio instead of giving Daniel shit.

“I’m getting my furniture sold this week and flying back next Sunday.”

“Mamá’s excited you’re moving back in. She said she never imagined having an empty house.”

Daniel snorted. “Can you even call it empty? She has you and all three nietos there. Plus Tía Gloria is over every day with her brood isn’t she?”

Amelia nodded. “Sí, but you know mamá. The house has been empty since the moment you moved out and it’s still going to be empty until we’re all living there again.”

Clara was eyeing Daniel. “That’s not a part of the plan right?”

Amelia laughed. “I thought you liked our family?”

“I do! I just… don’t want to live with them?”

“Perfectly understandable. I don’t want to live with them either. Which is why I will hopefully only be there a month or two until I find my own place,” Cio cut back in.

Amelia hummed but didn’t respond. She handed Sylvia over, and Cio burped her while Amelia got squared away. 

“Such a happy baby,” Cio cooed to her. “I will say that I’m excited to never have another winter like they have here. I thought I liked snow. Turns out, it’s cold, wet, and gets really gross really fast and sidewalks get really slick.”

Daniel laughed. “Poor hermanito. Come visit us in New York and experience a real winter.”

“I’m pretty sure the winter’s here are worse.”

Dinner passed smoothly, except for a short moment where Clara reminded Amelia and Daniel to speak English around her, please, when they devolved into a petty name calling argument. After, Cio gave them the promised tour of the campus. As they were passing a coffee shop attached to a frozen yogurt place on the north side of the Main Quad, Amelia pulled him to a stop. 

“I’m going to go get the kids some frozen yogurt. Would you mind grabbing me a coffee? Cold brew, mocha with cream and sugar.”

Cio shrugged. “Sure.” He glanced at Daniel and Clara. “Coffee or froyo?”

They both made a face at him calling it froyo. Before they could answer, though, Amelia spoke up again. “I’ll actually need help making sure these two do it right. Or, Daniel, Clara, would you mind getting them some froyo while I get my coffee?”

“Sure.” Clara agreed easily and grabbed George’s hand. Daniel scooped up Martin.

Amelia smiled and watched them disappear into the frozen yogurt shop. She then turned and handed Sylvia over again. “All right. Go find a seat, I’ll get us some drinks. Cold brew ok with you?”

“Yeah. Same order as yours.” Cio dug his wallet out and handed it over. “Use my credit card, I get 5% cash back here.” Amelia took it and nodded and Cio followed her in. He glanced around while bouncing Sylvia, then froze. Richard, Dr. Price, was sitting at a table next to the window. He had glasses on and was reading over some papers in front of him with a half drunk cup of coffee beside them.

Cio whipped his head back around to Amelia who was shooing him over that way. Cio thinned his lips at her and jerked his head to one side in a sharp ‘no.’ She raised her brows and pursed her lips back. Then her face softened and her eyes took on a pleading sheen. Cio flipped her off and strode over to Richard.