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  Oh….

  Elliot reached toward the bedside table and grabbed one of the tubes of lube they’d stored there. He slicked his fingers up and pushed them inside Danny, deep and aggressive and possessive as hell.

  “E-El?” Danny rolled his hips, trying to get Elliot deeper, wanting his kiss. It felt so damn good to have Elliot there, touching him, needing him. He’d missed it—even if it was rough and angry instead of tender and loving, nobody could get him as hot as Elliot.

  “Just… shut up. Don’t talk. I’m gonna fuck you, okay?” Elliot’s voice cracked. The anger faded. He just looked sad.

  “Yes, babe. Please.” Danny looped his arms around Elliot’s neck and his legs around lean hips. “I love you.”

  He pulled Elliot down for a kiss. Their kiss was desperate and deep. Danny felt wet tears on his face. He pretended he didn’t. “I miss you so damn much,” Elliot breathed into Danny’s ear. “Why can’t I ever stay angry?”

  “It’ll be over soon. I swear I’m gonna talk to them, okay?”

  “Shhh.”

  Elliot slicked himself up and pushed in slowly—it had been a while after all—until he was all the way in. Danny could barely breathe. He didn’t want to breathe, just wanted to feel. He moaned and slid his hands down Elliot’s back to grab at him. Elliot ground into Danny slow, rolling his hips. Danny had forgotten how good it felt, so full and stretched and close.

  “Deeper,” Danny murmured. “I want to feel it for days.”

  “So when you’re with her all you can think of is me.” Elliot slammed his hips, pushing deep.

  Danny cried out. “Fuck. Always do anyway. Love you.”

  “Say it.”

  “I love you,” Danny repeated.

  “No. Say you’re mine.” Elliot pushed deep again. Then he grabbed Danny’s hands from where they’d rested on his shoulders and pinned them back to the bed.

  “I’m yours, El. Always.”

  Elliot’s cock dragged hard over Danny’s prostate. Danny shuddered. Elliot’s big, intense brown eyes stared down at him, still wet with tears. Danny wanted to kiss him, taste him, feel him, and wrap Elliot in his body and make sure he knew Danny would never let go. Elliot pounded into him, so hard it should’ve hurt, but Danny relished it, wanted more. They panted and grappled at each other with sweat-slick palms.

  His body tightened with impending release. Danny didn’t want it to be over.

  “I’m yours too, D. Always. Fuck, I love you.”

  All it took were the words and Danny lost it. He came hard, spilling onto his belly and Elliot’s, adding to the slickness. Elliot pumped into him one, two, three more times and groaned against Danny’s neck before he bit down hard.

  It took them a long time to come down from the high. They lay silent, still shivery and sweaty in their bed.

  “I want you to tell Katie,” Elliot finally whispered. He pulled away from Danny and flopped down onto his back. Danny wanted to reach over and touch him, regain contact, but he wasn’t sure if Elliot wanted it. “I don’t care if you and Chelsea are all over the Internet, but I want people who know us to hear the truth.”

  Danny nodded. Then he gave in to his instinct and wrapped himself around Elliot. “Okay. She didn’t believe me anyway. I can’t lie to her.”

  “Call her.” Elliot reached out and grabbed the phone he’d yanked from Danny’s hand earlier.

  Danny pulled up Katie’s number with shaking hands. “Katie?” he asked softly when she answered.

  “Yes?” Katie sounded wary.

  “Listen, you’re right. You always could read me. El and I are still together. I didn’t want to lie to you it’s… just. It’s a long story. I have to make it look like I’m with Chelsea, and our publicist is spreading all those stories so it seems like Elliot sleeps with every girl in town. None of it’s true.” Danny didn’t know why it was so hard to say it, but after he was done he felt better. He really did. The lying had become so second nature, but the truth felt right coming out of his mouth.

  “Lemme talk to him,” Katie said. “I want to talk to Elliot.”

  “R-really?” Katie had never met Elliot. Danny didn’t know what to think. But he didn’t try to deny that Elliot was with him. There was no point.

  “Yes. Give him the phone.”

  Danny handed over the phone to a surprised-looking Elliot. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Elliot listened quietly for a few moments. “Of course,” he said quietly. “I’ll take care of him. I love him.… We won’t…. I promise…. It’s good to finally talk to you too.”

  When he hung up, Elliot looked exhausted. “She’s nice,” he said quietly. “I can see why you were with her for so long.”

  “Yeah. She’s my oldest friend.” Danny rested his head against Elliot’s chest. “I’m glad she knows the truth, El. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “Me too, and I know.” Elliot kissed the top of his head. Danny wondered when he’d become the unsure one, when Elliot had gotten so strong.

  “I don’t like how used to lying I’ve gotten. I’m tired of doing it.”

  “We’ll figure something out, D. Promise. Just go to sleep.”

  “You’re staying in here?” Danny asked. He hated how needy he sounded, but he didn’t want to fall asleep alone.

  “Of course.”

  Elliot wrapped Danny up in his long, lanky arms and for the first time in weeks Danny felt good.

  “GENTLEMEN, you’re going on tour this summer,” Sasha announced at a meeting in the beginning of March. They’d been watching the album hold its place on the charts since before Christmas but none of them knew how well an album had to do to warrant a tour. They’d just gotten their answer.

  Elliot’s stomach flipped. Other than a few small radio-station shows with a handful of fans, they hadn’t done much.

  “Where are we playing?” he asked.

  “The label is working on booking venues. It’ll be theaters and concert halls for this album. Next tour, if we play it right, will be stadiums.”

  Theaters and concert halls sounded intimidating enough to Elliot. But exciting. Really exciting. It was what they were made to do.

  Reece grinned and Webb and Tate exchanged high fives with everyone. “We’ll have a few months in rehearsals, do some interviews and a few TV spots to drum up interest. Tickets are going to go on sale in two weeks. Dates will be released as we book different venues.”

  “Sick,” Reece said. Then he paused. “Does that mean we’re gonna have to learn how to dance?”

  Sasha chuckled. “Your stage show will be tailored to showcase what you guys do best. Let’s not worry about that until we get there.”

  “When do rehearsals start?” Webb asked.

  “As soon as we can book some studio time. We have a lot of preparation to do.”

  Three months later

  “I STILL can’t freaking do that turn,” Tate complained.

  The tour started in two weeks right down the freeway in Anaheim. None of them felt like they were ready. Everyone’s families had tickets, Danny had given a set to Katie and her friends; Elliot had given some to Sara. Danny was nervous. The other guys were nervous. Sometimes Elliot’s nerves went from jittery anticipation all the way to terror. He tried to ignore it but it wasn’t easy.

  “Just cross your right foot in front of your left and twist until they’re uncrossed,” Danny said as he demonstrated to Tate. “Then keep spinning.”

  “I’m so glad they didn’t give us any real choreography. I still can’t dance,” Elliot mumbled from behind Tate. His two left feet hadn’t magically transformed into anything resembling grace in the past twelve weeks.

  “You’re doing fine, babe,” Danny said with a grin and a gentle elbow. He and Elliot were having a good day. There had been more of them lately. Elliot lived for the good days when he knew there was no Chelsea in the near future and he and Danny could just be themselves.

  He avoided the tabloids like a disease. They were stuffe
d full of lovey pictures of Danny and Chelsea, double-dating with Tate and Felicia, smiling and laughing. It all looked so fake to him. Danny told him it had only taken Felicia one date to ask Tate what the hell was going on. To her it had been obvious. To the world, it clearly wasn’t.

  Days when Elliot happened to get too much exposure to “Danny and Chelsea”—those days weren’t so good. But he and Danny were still them. Still solid. Elliot wasn’t going to let that fade away. Not after everything they’d been through.

  “’Kay, guys. That’s enough for today!” the choreographer called. They’d been there for hours, in final vocal rehearsals and then on to blocking and working out the minimal dancing they’d be doing on stage. The work was exhausting, but they all smiled constantly through it. It felt like performing for people was exactly what the five of them were meant to be doing.

  Elliot liked their show. There was a ton of joking, talking to the audience, singing their own songs and their favorite covers they’d sung back in the Band Camp days. It wasn’t flashy, it was friendly. The production team had done a great job of actually listening to them, which was a refreshing change, and the show would just be… them. There really wasn’t any other way of putting it.

  They were all happy. Scared and nervous, but happy. The guys grabbed their bags and water bottles and walked tiredly toward the entrance to the studio.

  “Two weeks, guys. Can you believe it?” Webb asked. Even Webb, who was naturally quiet, had bloomed during rehearsals. His gorgeous dark looks shone under the spotlight and his voice—well, his pretty mellow voice would fill the concert halls to the rafters.

  “It went so fast.” Reece chugged his water down. “We’re still doing movies and pizza tonight, right?”

  “’Course. Your place?” The band liked Reece’s place. He’d never been much of a city guy, so he’d bought a house in the hills with a pool and a big yard. The fans never followed them out there. Neither did the press. It had become their official hideaway. Everyone nodded.

  OUTSIDE the studio, fans waited. Elliot didn’t mind the studio fans too much. They were usually the respectful ones, the ones who’d wait all day just for the chance to talk to them. He didn’t understand those girls much, probably never would see what the big deal was about talking to him and his friends, but they were still sweet. Static’s bodyguards formed a barrier between the boys and the fans, but they still stopped and signed albums, took pictures, handed out kisses on the cheek and hugs.

  “Thank you for coming!” Elliot called as he slipped into Danny’s car. “We love you guys!”

  He had to remind himself that he did love the fans. They were just nice girls who loved him and his friends back. It wasn’t their fault necessarily that everything was such a mess. Elliot liked to think the girls really wouldn’t mind if they found out about him and Danny. So many of the fans online already knew—well, at least they thought they did—and he honestly didn’t understand how the ones who didn’t know couldn’t see it. It was probably what Danny told him months and months ago. They didn’t want to. He still hoped the fans in general wouldn’t care. The support from the ones who’d noticed helped a lot, even if he couldn’t acknowledge it. Still, Elliot knew all the same that it was wishful thinking to hope he and Danny would get embraced with open arms by everyone. If the vast majority of the fans really wouldn’t care, and would still love them for who they were, he and Danny would’ve never been asked to hide it.

  “Hey,” Danny nudged him. “No sad face. Today was fun. Movie nights are always fun.”

  “Oh, I know. I’m being dumb.” Elliot smiled at Danny and reached for his hand. “Probably just tired.”

  “We’ve gotta get you some coffee then,” Danny said with a smile. “Can’t have you falling asleep in the middle of the movie.”

  StaticFan#1 @Rateisgreat

  @Dellyisreallove @Ellysbaby Girls, did you see that pic from outside Danny and El’s Apt? Were they holding hands??? #omgomgomg #Delly

  Cara D @Dellyisreallove

  @Rateisgreat @Ellysbaby Grrrrr it’s too hard to tell. I hope so! <333 #roomiesinlove #Delly

  Staticgrl4life @Ellysbaby

  @Dellyisreallove @Rateisgreat I can’t tell either, but I’ve decided they were because I want them to be:) #roomiesinlove #confirmed

  Cara D @Dellyisreallove

  @Ellysbaby @Rateisgreat Yes, lol!! Let’s see how many Chelly shippers we can freak out:) #Delly #Confirmed

  StaticFan#1 @Rateisgreat

  @Ellysbaby @Rateisgreat Guys, I know it’s funny but let’s be careful. We don’t want the boys to get hurt over a joke :( #roomiesinlove

  LATER that week Elliot and Danny got a call. It was one of those calls that came in all caps and probably italics too. Those kinds of calls were never good. Especially when none of the other boys were conferenced in.

  “Morning, boys,” Rebecca started.

  “What now?” Danny asked. He didn’t want to know the answer, but it was better to get it over with.

  “The team thinks it’s best if you and Elliot move to separate apartments.”

  Danny’s mouth dropped open. Elliot, who was on the other line but sitting right across from him, looked equally horrified. “Hell no,” he said. “Just no. Absolutely not.”

  Danny couldn’t imagine being away from Elliot for one night, let alone always. He wouldn’t do it.

  Rebecca took a long, noisy breath. “We just thought it would be best if you didn’t have such a… unified front. And it seems like some of the girls are watching your apartment to see if you two act like a couple.”

  “Fuck, Becks. Those girls already know we’re a couple. At least they think we are. What difference does it make if they know we live together too?”

  “It’s not those girls we’re worried about. It’s the new fans. You boys are gaining momentum every day. The new fans need to see you as available and single.”

  “And straight,” Elliot grumbled. “Yeah, we’ve been over this. I’m still not moving away from Danny.”

  There was a long silence. “How about you two get a new place, keep it secret, and we just circulate stories that you’ve moved apart. Danny should be getting more serious with Chelsea anyway, and you have your own lifestyle.”

  “I hate this.” Danny couldn’t believe all the damn subterfuge. All over one relationship. No. It wasn’t even that. It was all over money. He’d never dreamed how much would be done in the name of a profit. “El and I get to stay together if you do this?”

  “Yes.”

  Elliot made a face at Danny, like he was appalled that he’d even consider it. But Danny was tired of arguing, and they wouldn’t win. “Fine, then. We’ll look around for a place out of the way. Give me a few weeks, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll put my end in the works. And nobody can know about this new place. Family and Static boys only.”

  Danny ground his teeth together. “Fine.”

  BYE-BYE DELLY LOVE NEST!

  A Candy Scoop Exclusive

  Our boys are growing up so fast! Sources say that ELLIOT PRICE and DANNY BRIGHT of STATIC are moving apart. We know, we were shocked too. DANNY wants more room to entertain his lovely lady, and scenester ELLIOT probably needs more room to, well… entertain if you get our drift. We’ll miss the golden era of Delly, but we suppose in time all good things pass.

  —CS

  StaticFan#1 @Rateisgreat

  @Dellyisreallove @Ellysbaby Do you think this is our fault?!? I feel bad. #Delly

  Cara D @Dellyisreallove

  @Rateisgreat @Ellysbaby I don’t buy it. They’re still together. It’s just PR #bullshit #roomiesinlove #Delly

  StephSteph @IShipChelly

  @Dellyisreallove @Ellysbaby @Rateisgreat You guys ruined their friendship. It would suck to have people calling you gay for your bff all the time #DellyisBS

  Staticgrl4life @Ellysbaby

  @Dellyisreallove @Rateisgreat @IShipChelly Homophobic much? Besides if they’re straight it would be a joke not a big
deal. #Ismellasmokescreen

  IT SEEMED like for every fun day, for every day when he was happy to be with Danny and his best friends, there were twice as many when Elliot wanted to give it all up and go back to being anonymous. Days when he wished their album hadn’t gone platinum, that nobody cared what he did.

  He’d woken up that morning, arms wrapped around Danny and smiling in their brand new house. There was this little fantasy he had, for the days he knew Danny was going out with Chelsea, that they were just normal guys living together, going to college. He’d get up and make them breakfast before he went off to English class. He and Danny would text each other all day, cute messages about how they couldn’t wait for later. People would wave to him, but only because they knew him from class.

  On the good days, Elliot thought he was crazy for wanting the normal life he’d turned down. But on days when things were overwhelming and hard… he wondered if he’d been crazy to sign up for all this. No matter which way he turned it seemed like he was going crazy for some reason.

  That day it was because Danny was out with Chelsea.

  He was out there roaming around, somewhere in the city. They were walking with coffees and shopping bags, getting their picture taken, meeting other pop couples for lunch. Elliot didn’t even ask exactly what they were doing. He never wanted to know where Danny was when he was with Chelsea. It was a fact of their lives, and he dealt with it better than he had at first, but he didn’t like it. Elliot’s phone buzzed.

  I miss you… can’t wait until we get home tonight.

  Okay, so maybe they weren’t just at class, and maybe Elliot had told Danny about his little fantasy, but it was still hard not to smile.

  Miss you too. Love you, he texted in return.