I liked driving through the city. On our days off, we’d go driving. Sometimes to one of the big convenience stores outside of town or just… Around. Sometimes we’d drive to the ocean. There was a beach promenade that we enjoyed strolling up and down. Hand in hand. No one we knew ever came here so we could actually act as a proper couple here.

Arlo held my hand when we walked here. His hair would get tussled by the wind. He’d smile and hide behind his sunglasses. He’d wear t-shirts and shorts, like when we were on the island.

We’d relive the island. The happiness and calm.

He stopped me and pulled me to him, taking my face in his hands and kissed me, having to bend down a bit. Okay, a lot. He was a giant after all, while I was average.

“Arlo? Dion?”

Fuck.

Arlo’s head shot up as he curled his arm around me, half turning away, to shelter me with his body. Then he relaxed as he realised it was his friend, not someone who would hurt me.

“Oliver,” Arlo sighed. His arm slipped off me, but his hand found mine.

“Yeah, bud. Surfing.” He held a surfboard in his hand and was wearing a wetsuit, rolled down to his hips. “What’s up?”

“We’re just out for a walk,” I said as Arlo was just staring off into space. He’d do this sometimes. When things got weird or hard, he’d space out to escape. “Right Arlo?” I squeezed his hand and he blinked.

“Walking,” he murmured.

“Yeah, Dion said so. You guys wanna go grab a drink? Maybe some coffee?”

Arlo was staring again.

“Yeah, let’s.” I patted Arlo’s arm and we followed Oliver to a small promenade café. We ordered coffee and sat down. I took it upon myself to just approach the minotaur in the room. “Right, so obviously you can’t tell anyone about us.”

“I’m not an idiot.” He shot me an unimpressed look and removed some wet hair, untangling it from his horns. “Hey. Arlo.” He gently put his hand on Arlo’s arm and gave it a squeeze. Arlo looked up his eyes wide. “It’s okay. Breathe again. Deep breaths.”

Arlo took a very deep breath and nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’m not gonna tell anyone. I’m actually relieved. I thought you had found a better friend. But all this time you had just found a boyfriend.” He smiled to hide the insecurity. But I saw it. He was afraid of losing his friend.

“Yeah,” Arlo muttered and took a sip of his coffee. “I… I’ve been a bad friend. I-”

“Stop, man. We don’t need this. It’s okay. I’m the same when I’m going through the honeymoon phase, and you never give me a hard time.”

Arlo nodded and then rose to his feet. “I need the bathroom.”

Both Oliver and I said nothing, and Arlo didn’t wait for us to say anything either.

“He’s happy, right?” Oliver asked, looking after Arlo.

“I think so. He says he is.” I shrugged a shoulder.

“He has anxiety, you know. Like really bad anxiety. He breaks down. Like properly. I’ve had to force him into the shower, force him to eat. To get out of bed. Him getting into something like this could be the best thing in the world, or it could be really dangerous. So, if he starts getting fidgety. If he stops eating. Give me a call, alright? Lemme give you my number.”

I handed him my phone without question. He punched in his number and returned my phone.

“You care about him a lot,” I noted and put my phone back in my pocket.

“He’s the closest thing I’ll ever get to a brother. Yeah, I care about him a lot. And so do you, right?”

I nodded. “I love him.”

“Good. He needs that. He really does. He has a great family and all but… They don’t really get his anxiety. They don’t get there’s no logic or arguing with it. There’s only comforting him and staying around until it’s over.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna stick around. He’s very special.”

Oliver smiled and nodded, taking a sip of his otherwise untouched coffee. “Yeah. He’s a very special guy. Loyal to the bone.”

“I could sense that.” I smiled a little and dumped my spoon into my cup, stirring around the foamed milk.

“And how is he dealing with you being a worker?”

I swallowed hard and looked down at the foam. “He knows the difference,” I whispered.

“The difference?”

I didn’t get a chance to reply as Arlo returned. He looked a little calmer as he sat down at our table again and smiled at me. “Is Oliver frying you?”

“Not really.”

“Intimidating then? Has he promised to beat you up if you hurt me?”

I snorted. And so did Oliver.

“No, I don’t think that’s needed.” He gave me a nod and I offered one back.

“Is this some secret horn code?”

“Oh totally. We communicate through them,” Oliver said and tapped his torn with two fingers.

 ***

“He didn’t say anything bad, right?” Arlo asked as he snuggled up to me in bed.

“No, Arlo. He didn’t. He just wanted to make sure I was good to you. And that you were happy.” I kissed his chin and he smiled.

“I’m very happy.”

“I know,” I breathed. “I am too.”

“Yeah? Truly?”

“Do you doubt that?” I arched a brow at him.

“No, I’m just… Worried. That you’re not happy or that I’m doing something wrong. I’m so weird, I know and-”   

I moved in and kissed him to shut him up. “You’re not weird, Arlo. You’re sweet and lovely. And so damn amazing.”

He smiled the most heart-warming smile. I loved that smile of his.

“I love you,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”

“You know, I love you too.”

I nodded and snuggled closer. He brought my leg further up, his hand on my knee. His thumb stroked my skin. He was so warm under me. I loved lying like this. I moved a little, so I was fully on top of him. His body was a little tense but then it relaxed, sinking into the bed.

His fingers were trailing my spine all the way from my lower back to my neck. This was one of my favourite rituals of ours. We’d just cuddle, maybe talk a little, and Arlo would let his fingers trail over my skin. He’d massage me if I was sore. He’d kiss me if I needed it. And do other things, if that’s what I was in the mood for.

He’d do whatever I wanted him to do. And he’d do it gladly. Getting dominated turned him on. Dominating him turned me on. Win-win.

He softly kissed my horn and I made a sound. The hand that had been resting my knee moved up to caress my horns. I dug my fingers into his chest, my voice slipping into every exhale. He was very gentle. Just running the tips of his fingers over them.

“Arlo,” I whimpered and grabbed his hand, stopping him.

“Too much?” he murmured softly.

“Yeah,” I panted and looked up. “Sorry it’s really intense.”

“How is it intense?”

“There’s a lot of nerves in the skin. And it’s so thin. I can’t describe it really. It’s not like it turns me on, but it feels so nice. Like… I don’t know.” I shook my head.

“I can feel it turns you on a little,” he chuckled and pressed his leg up. It was between both of mine and… Yeah, it might’ve turned me on a little. Semi. “You want me to take care of that?” His voice was turning breathy. He definitely wanted to take care of that.

I lifted up a little and his hand ran down between us. I groaned and got lost in him.