Eric set down his bottle of Cerveza -- thankfully, he hadn't taken a sip yet -- and pushed his sunglasses down to stare at Orlando. "What?" "Hector and Paris. Lovers," Orlando said. He flopped in the closest chair, bouncing and unbouncing his thigh off Eric's. "I understood you the first time." Eric peered suspiciously at Orlando, tried to remember how much beer he'd had. "They're brothers. You miss that bit?" "Yeah, yeah, 'course they were." Orlando smiled, showing brilliant white teeth. "So?" "So, if they're brothers, it's highly unlikely they'd be buggering each other." Eric took a chance that Orlando would remain silent for a moment and tipped his bottle back. Nothing like a cold one on a hot day. Even if it was sex-in-a-canoe. "It's ancient Greece, man. What's a little incest to a society like that?" Orlando scooted forward, used the hem of his singlet to wipe the sweat from his brow. Nice abs, Eric thought. Nothing really on Brad's, which were god-like, but still...pretty hot for such a skinny boy. "I don't even know why we're having this conversation," Eric said. He drained his bottle and leaned forward, sloshed around the Esky until he found another Cerveza. He thought about sticking his entire head in the ice, but didn't have the energy. "Because I want to know what you think." Wh -- oh. Right. Incest. Hector and Paris engaging in illicit, immoral romps. "You've been hanging around Garrett too much," he stated. "Eh, everyone knows Achilles and Patroclus were totally doing it," Orlando said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Try telling Brad and Dave that." "They're just in denial." "Mmhmm." "A million philosophers and historians and writers can't be wrong." "Mmhmm." "What, I'm serious," Orlando protested. He peeled his sticky singlet away from his chest, tossed it at his feet. "You been working out?" Eric asked. "What?" Orlando looked down, then shrugged. The muscles in his chest and upper arms rippled. "Yeah. Gotta look my best to keep up with you lot, y'know?" "Man's gotta have his pride," Eric grinned and knocked his beer against Orlando's in salute. "Looks good on you." "Thanks." Orlando's smile was wide and infectious. "Back atcha. And you still haven't answered my question." Fuck. "No, I haven't." Eric fiddled with the cap to his bottle, stared at the small trickle of sweat coursing between Orlando's pecs. Very smooth chest. Eric wondered if Orlando shaved it. "Well, you gonna?" Eric glanced up with a guilty start. "Why're you asking this, anyway?" "Basic curiosity?" "Of course." As if that explained everything. Which, Eric thought, it probably did as far as Orlando was concerned. "So?" "So...ah, right. Hector. Paris. Why d'you think they were?" Best to turn the tables around. Misdirection -- the key to getting out of answering any question. "Um." Orlando looked flummoxed, if the cute little wrinkle between his brows was anything to go by. Eric often thought that wrinkle should get its own billing with all the emoting Orlando did with it. "Because Hector was willing to go to war to save Paris?" Orlando finally said. "That just means they're family." Eric took his cue from Orlando and peeled off his own shirt. Fuck, that breeze felt nice. "Yeah, but to let an entire civilization fall for one man?" Orlando scooted forward, thigh bouncing against Eric's again. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. "Paris was willing to let it burn for one woman." "Exactly. And those two were definitely shagging. Which proves my point." "Uh." Eric had a feeling he'd lost a point somewhere. "And?" Orlando tapped Eric's leg with a slender finger. "Paris was willing to lose everything for Helen because of the sex. So, if Hector was willing to lose everything for Paris, it must've been because of the sex, too." "Uh." Not that Eric had the faintest idea what Orlando was going on about. But then, he never did. "Maybe Hector was doing it for Helen, too," he said. Orlando blinked, rather endearingly. "Y'mean, Hector and Helen?" "Rooting like rabbits, mate." "Huh." Orlando blinked again. "Hadn't thought of that." "Nah, didn't think so." Eric patted Orlando's knee as he stood. "And the next time you want to suss out whether a bloke's interested in you, just ask him straight out instead of all this bullshit. Easier on the mind, I promise." "Alright, I -- hey!" Orlando cried, but Eric was already halfway down the beach. He was positive Orlando wouldn't be far behind.
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