745AUTHOR'S NOTE: First chapter of the Trent saga! MANY thanks to princess max for the early birthday present! Damon from "These Days" and "Three Plus One Equals Havoc" has found his new home!
Yes, I know. I fast-forwarded 4 years here. But wait until you see the other sequel. I didn't fast-forward much there, so I'll fill in any gaps from here. Don't forget, Kevin and Brian are brothers and talk a lot.
Review, I command you! I'm DYING to know what you think. Note to princess max: Let me know if I get Damon wrong in any way. It's vital that for the first 10 or so chapters that he be as close to exactly as he was written in your stories as possible.
Chapter 1
Trent Jamison stared around the club, somewhat bored. It was his birthday and his two closest friends in Boston, Matt and Brian, insisted on taking him out. He didn't know why they did that, it wasn't like he had just turned 21, but they did. Matt had muttered something about Trent needing to loosen up already. Loosen up. He couldn't help being wound tight these days. He'd started a new job a couple of months ago and the pace was quick.
He pushed open the bathroom door and shut it firmly behind him, muting some of the loud techno music blaring from the bar. The room was blissfully empty and Trent took a moment to stare at his haggard reflection in the mirror. His normally bright hazel eyes were dulled and bloodshot from a week of long hours at work. His light brown hair, once shoulder length, was cut into a neat, conservative hairstyle that made him cringe. Yet, that's what all of the job-hunting manuals said employers looked for in the investment banking field. His tall, athletic build never changed, though. He and Matt, and Trent's best friend Joey when he came to visit, kept regular hockey games every week and Trent worked out in the company gym at lunchtime to relieve stress.
And there seemed to be no shortage of that, these days. His firm was one of the top investment banks in the field. His previous firm had been good, but this one was busier and he felt every inch of the schedule he kept. But he wouldn't complain. Not at all. He'd studied his ass off for the opportunity to work there. He'd graduated from Harvard Business School, where he'd attended on full scholarship and was now beginning his MBA. And after the way his father had kicked him out of the house when he'd found out he was gay, Trent wanted to make sure nothing about his success could be traced back to that man. Not even his last name.
When he thought he'd have to go it alone at 19, he was stoic but ready. But Matt's fathers had something to say about it, particularly Matt's stepfather. Cody Jamison-Henshaw refused to let Trent quit college and proclaimed himself Trent's new father. Well, what could a guy do in the face of that determination but take the man seriously – and take his name, dropping the Gaithers line completely. He was surprised at how easy an adult adoption was. Matt's father, Grant Henshaw, handled the legal matters and within a couple of months Trent was legally his and Cody's son. He still could hardly believe the two of them took him in like that.
"There you are," a small voice behind him broke him out of his thoughts.
Trent turned to see a small man with long blonde hair and piercing green eyes that seemed to dance in delight. Brian Canton was one of the two most adorable guys he ever saw, the other being his brother Kevin. Trent knew life hadn't always held such amusement for the two … before Matt Henshaw and Jason Brennan came along. For the millionth time that week, Trent sighed with slight envy at his friends' relationships. Someday, he told himself, he would finally find a good one of his own.
"The music was getting to me," he shrugged at his small friend. "I just came in here to decompress for a minute."
"You need to decompress out there," Brian laughed. "That's why we brought you here."
Matt and Brian had been together for just over five years, and the sparks showed no indication of dying out. Trent had witnessed the small guy go from shy and scared to just short of outgoing and bubbly. True, Brian was still much more reserved than his fiery brother, but then Trent didn't think Matt would be able to handle someone like Kevin anyway. Jason's patience was renowned and respected.
"Okay, okay!" the taller man laughed as he allowed Brian to tug him back out to the dance area. "But you know I hate dancing at sweaty clubs."
"Oh, cut loose already," Matt grinned. He'd been standing just outside the bathroom door. "You know Brian only likes to dance with someone he knows." His blue eyes scanned the dance floor briefly and he frowned a bit. "Especially since some of the other dancers seem to have more than two hands to grab him with."
"So, why don't you dance?" Trent asked his golden-haired stepbrother.
"I've been dancing all night! While YOU, Mr. Birthday Boy, haven't yet."
"Yeah," Brian chimed in pulling Trent onto the dance floor. "Time to face the music."
Trent laughed and allowed himself to be led away. Brian was a good dancer, even if he was still just learning. Trent had always loved to dance and let the music take over and guide his steps. The songs ran into each other, one louder and faster than the other. Soon, Matt made his way back onto the floor and Trent grinned, happy to take a break. He left them and went over to the bar to order another beer. When he tried to pay, the bartender shook his head and nodded toward Matt.
"You're friend said to make sure you didn't open your wallet."
"What?"
"Money's no good here," the black-haired guy grinned flirtatiously. "Enjoy! Here, have something to go with that," he poured a shot of whiskey and placed it in front of Trent. "On the house," he winked and moved away to help another guy.
Trent blushed a little still not sure how to handle obvious advances from cute guys like that. He was used to girls pawing at him since high school, but guys threw him. He decided it was probably because he knew nothing would ever happen with the girls. Shrugging, he downed his shot then followed with half his beer. The alcohol began to work its way into his system immediately, as he was already stressed and tired. Downing the rest, he made his way back to the dance floor to let Matt know he was tired and would head on back to the apartment.
Just before he reached the dancing couple a pair of hands grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back into a lean yet firm body. Trent blinked in his drunken stupor for a moment before turning around. His 'assailant' smiled back invitingly. The man was around his own age, a few inches shorter, though definitely at least six feet tall, with dark brown hair and ocean-blue eyes. Trent couldn't seem to help but grin back as he noticed the music turned to a slower song. The man tightened his hold and leaned against him with a sigh.
"You're not with anyone, are you, mate?" he slurred out.
His stomach did a flip. This guy was Australian, and man was his accent doing something to Trent's already inebriated defenses. He hadn't had a boyfriend since an abbreviated attempt when he was 20. They'd never done anything but kiss and he couldn't even remember the guy's face.
"You're drunk," Trent replied with a smile.
The man pulled back and grinned goofily. "Yeah, so are you."
"I guess."
They danced lazily for a bit, just staring at each other for a while. Then the guy broke the silence again with his amazing voice.
"You haven't answered my question."
"What question?" Trent's mind was foggy, but he vaguely recalled being asked something. He couldn't remember what though.
"You alone?"
"Ah, that one," he grinned. "I liked it better when you asked it the first time."
"Why's that?"
"You called me 'mate'," he replied.
"Where'd he go?" Brian asked his boyfriend as they both looked around for Trent.
"I don't know. Last I saw he was headed to the bar."
They were still dancing to the slow beat as they looked around. Brian was loath to let go of Matt right now, as they hadn't had many nights out lately due to his own schedule and Matt's new job as a strategy consultant. But they were both happy, and moments like these made all of the work worth it.
"Well, I'm sure he didn't leave yet," Brian added. "He would have come over to tell us."
"True."
"You think he's serious about moving out?"
Matt studied his little boyfriend for a few seconds before pulling him closer. "I think so, Precious," he sighed.
"But I told him he isn't in the way."
"I know," Matt laughed. "But think about it from his point of view. He's always had to see us together, and I know he's happy for us. But it has to be hard watching happy couples all around you when you're alone."
"Too bad Niko had to go home," Brian sighed glumly.
"Too bad Niko's straight," Matt added with a laugh.
"That, too."
The man smiled again and Trent noticed how it lit up his face.
"The name's Damon," he said simply.
"Trent."
Damon's smile evolved into a smirk as he leaned in and caught Trent's lips in a hot kiss that made him moan.
"Well, Trent," Damon murmured, pulling him off the dance floor and into a shaded corner of the club. "I can't tell you how nice it is to meet you."
"You could try," Trent said helpfully, surprising himself with his own reply.
"I could," Damon shrugged as he pushed Trent into a booth and followed him in. "But I think I'd rather show you."
Damon deftly pulled Trent's t-shirt free of his pants and ran his hands under it and all over Trent's chest. When he gasped, Damon leaned in again and slid his tongue inside of his lips, igniting a fire inside of him that Trent himself never knew was there.
"Oh, shit," he murmured as he fell back and let Damon crawl on top of him.