Day #1 - Rio/Lara - [The secret is out]

[Rio Adams]

Waking up in a tour bus was... quite an experience. As was spending the night in one. Rio hadn't done it a whole lot, at least not yet. He and Brad had only been dating for about four months now, and during that time, Tears of Andromeda hadn't been touring for more than a few weeks, even though it had felt like an eternity, with all the time Rio and Brad spent apart. With Rio having his own life and his own obligations, such as school and work, the times that the two of them had gotten together hadn't been too many, and had happened mostly in hotels and motels of some kind. Only a couple had been spent in the tourbus, and Rio had yet to get used to how intensely cramped it all was. What he'd soon learned, however, was that among the many issues that existed in such a situation, privacy was pretty much the primary one. Because frankly, there was none. With two bands sharing a bus, there was always someone around, even when not on the road. And as for during the nights... Suffice to say, it was downright impossible for a couple to have some alone-time, no matter how much needed it might be. So, as the inhabitants of the bus had little choice but to get used to it, most of them had done just that, and they all tried to respect one another as much as possible; if the curtain was drawn on one of the bunk beds, that usually meant someone was either trying to sleep, or they were looking for privacy for more intimate reasons. The latter had been the case with Brad's bunk, once he and Rio had returned to the bus late last night. At that point, both of them had been a little tipsy, which really wasn't commonly known as a factor that would help people keep their hands off of one another. Rio and Brad really, really hadn't been an exception.

Hidden behind that flimsy, dark blue curtain, Brad had started taking mild advantage of his easily-seduced-when-intoxicated boyfriend, and as the kisses had started succeeding one another, each one more fervent than the one before, so had the caresses. Though as Brad's advances had eventually become more and more purposeful, making his intentions all too clear, along with his usual unconcern with the presence of the others, Rio had ended up gently - and most reluctantly - pulling the brakes. It wasn't the first time things had gotten that heated between them in the bus, nor would it have been the first time they had gone beyond merely kissing; Brad had yearned for his boyfriend's body before, at any price, and Rio hadn't exactly made himself known for being shy either. But, they had never before gone to the lengths Brad had seemed intent on, and while Rio wouldn't have minded the breaking of new boundaries, he was also very much aware that while the other guys didn't appear to have a problem with him and Brad being gay, for them to actually hear the two of them getting it on, might end up being more than they could take. And Rio really didn't want to be the cause of any rifts between Brad and any of the others. So he'd pulled the brakes, and not only for that reason, but for another one as well; he'd claimed, in complete honesty, that he needed to keep every bit of his mojo for the next day's photo shoot with Enrico. Though once that was done, he'd said, he'd be all Brad's, and would be sure to make it all up to him. And as a way of sealing the deal, he'd then gone on to give Brad a small taste of what was to come.

That had been last night, and had included one of the chapters on the issues of sharing a tour bus with seven or eight other guys. Now, it was morning, and time for chapter two: How to wake up to the sound of loud chattering and boisterous laughing without wanting to strangle someone, and how to avoid being trampled when aforementioned seven or eight guys kept running back and forth in the aisle, when going about their morning procedures, all at pretty much the same time.

The best option, Rio had found, was to just stay put in Brad's bunk, and wait for the rush traffic to and from the bathroom as well as the closets to slow. Only once most of the other guys seemed to have moved to the rear end of the bus, where the small den-like area was located, with it's couches and the bigger screened TV, did he deem it safe to venture out into the aisle. Crawling over Brad in order to reach it - an effort which had him suddenly finding himself briefly captured by muscular arms until he'd delivered the ransom in the form of a lengthy kiss - Rio thus finally got to start his own quick morning procedure. With the bathroom free and empty at last, he took a quick two minute shower, brushed his teeth while drying off, and then braved the aisle again in order to dig out his small bag with a change of clothes, from the gigantic pile of various luggage stuffed into one of the few available spaces on the bus. After that, he spent another minute or two fixing his hair for the shoot - thank God for easily managed tresses that didn't require half an hour of work just to look decent - and then he was done. And just in time, too. A glance at his wrist watch as he returned to Brad's bunk, told him he had roughly ten minutes before he was supposed to meet up with Henry, Brendan and Enrico.

"Time for me to get going", he said, as he sat down on the edge of Brad's bunk to receive his goodbye kiss. "I'll call you when we're done, okay?"

"Okay", Brad said with a faint smirk where he lay, propped up on one elbow. "Don't enjoy yourself too much."

At that, Rio simply laughed, and then leant down to give him another soft kiss, as if to reassure him, before standing up, and making his way out of the bus.

He met up with the rest of the team only about a hundred yards away, by the tour bus of Biowrath, who had agreed to let it be used as the backdrop for the photo shoot, even though the band name would not appear, since the bus they were travelling with was a hired one, that featured neither their logo nor their band name. It was just a regular bus, although painted black, and featuring black tinted windows. It did, however, give off the right vibe for the intended scenario of the photo shoot; a rock star/groupie encounter.

Upon Rio's arrival, as well as that of Henry just a minute later, the small team wasted little time getting to work. They gathered by the main camera which Brendan had already set up, and after only a quick briefing of the overall scene and situation, the huddle was over. Brendan and Henry took their places behind the cameras, while Rio and Enrico moved over to the side of the tour bus, where the first scene was supposed to play out. The first and the only scene, for today; the rest would be done back home, in the studio, made over to look like the inside of a tour bus, since they didn't have access to the inside of a real one here; Biowrath were still using theirs.

However, before giving the go-ahead, the two boys took yet another minute to get a little further acquainted, and most of all get a bit of a feel for their soon-to-be partner, and tap into their vibe. Only then, when a connection had been made and the chemistry was starting to be felt, did they start acting out their parts; Rio as the famous rock star, and Enrico as the persuasive groupie seducing him. It was completely cheesy, Rio thought, but it was still good for a laugh, and the conversation itself didn't last very long before the real point of the story picked up. Gentle, suggestive caresses of Enrico's fingers started working over Rio's chest, moving ever daringly downward, slipping under his shirt. Eager hands were groping him, and those soft, luscious lips ran smoothly along his jaw line, searing his skin with fiery kisses, begging him to give in, and take charge.

[Lara Abbott]

What a day....had it all really happened in just one day?

Lara Abbott awoke with that question floating around in her mind, an echo of the intensity brought on by the previous day's happenings. She felt as though ages had passed since her arrival at Syrinx not even twenty-four hours earlier, during which she had caught her boyfriend cheating, had been proposed to, left him tied up in his bunk and nearly dumped him, confirmed the fact that she was indeed expecting and, finally, reconciled with him. In short, one handful of hours had been more chock-full of life-altering events than the past year, and needless to say they had left Lara feeling rather...overwhelmed.

In a good way though. However much pain it had brought her, Lara was glad to at last be rid of her doubts and fears surrounding Dominic's fidelity, finally clear the air between them. With him firmly at her side, the idea of parenthood became a less frightening, uncertain prospect, a relief too as it had gone from strong suspicion to absolute certainty. Following their talk the other night, Lara had taken the pregnancy test she'd specifically brought along to Syrinx to share with Dominic, and sure enough it confirmed what her body was already trying to tell her: they were expecting. After that...well, buoyed by the exhilaration of it all, the deep and overpowering relief at knowing their relationship had survived its greatest test yet as well as raw, electrifying lust that closeness never failed to spark between them, the couple had slaked their thirst for each other time and time again until pure exhaustion saw them drift asleep in the rosy afterglow. Little else had been of importance.

Unsurprisingly, the few short hours which followed were not enough to restore Lara's energy and initially she stubbornly ignored the persistent little melody trying to intrude into her slumber, but the damage had been done. Awareness was returning quickly, beyond the point where she could ignore the ringing phone, which she recognized as belonging to Dominic. Sleepily she nudged him and told him to pick it up, though her boyfriend – no, fiancé! was rather more resistant to the average wake-up calls and it wasn't until a plastic cup collided with his head that he actually acknowledged it.

To what happened after, Lara became more or less a spectator, though a curious one, greeting Dominic's news about the potential “big gig” with a wide, sunny smile. Everyone's excitement was infectious, so much that she didn't even feel too disappointed that she wouldn't be able to spend the morning with Nicky – he deserved his big chance, and if this proved to be it, how could she begrudge it to him?

“Good luck!” Lara called out after the three guys trampling their way out of the bus, and once silence returned she lifted her slightly aching body out of the bed and headed for the shower – boy, did she need one!

An hour later, she was clean, dressed and pondering what to do while Nicky and the rest negotiated their gig. First thing was first, and Lara typed a quick message for Danny to let him know where she was and that things were OK, feeling slightly guilty at having essentially left the poor kid to fend for himself on the festival grounds. She didn't want him to think she'd also forgotten about him. Next, she spared a few minutes to tidy up the worst of the mess inside the bus – having been partially responsible for causing it – but that still left the rest of the morning. Food – she could use some food, and something to drink, Lara decided as she grabbed her money and the small bag she carried some belongings in, eager as well from some fresh air; morning sickness remained a bit of an issue.

The parking area looked different by day so it took some wandering around for Lara to get her bearings, and finally know which way she was supposed to go. She didn't get far. Just as she rounded the corner of another bus, her eyes fell on a certain scene unfolding right in front of her, the protagonist of which was none other than Rio. That was about the only thing about it she recognized however, for everything else screamed out wrongness: Rio wasn't alone; in fact he was very busy getting intimately acquainted with a young man...who wasn't Brad. The two were really getting into it as she stared in shock, the unknown man's left hand questing underneath Rio's shirt as his lips temptingly grazed his jawline.

Lara's jaw dropped; she simply couldn't believe her eyes! Focused as she was on the pair, she completely missed the cameras filming the scene as she marched closer on impulse, astonishment and disapproval painted clearly on her face. It really was a shock to see Rio, the same Rio who'd berated Dominic for his behaviour the other night, the Rio who claimed to believe in faithfulness, getting all touchy feely with some random guy!

“Rio?!” the young woman called out in disbelief once she was close enough, stopping dead in her tracks as she stared at them. “What...what are you doing?”

Suddenly her expression changed, it hardened as she waved her hands dismissively and started backing away.

"No...know what? None of my business."

[Rio Adams]

"Mmm..."

Faint, soft moans were spilling gently from Rio's lips, whispering of the pleasure that was slowly rising within him, under the lips nipping at his neck and jaw. Every now and then they returned to lock with his own, firmly guided there by his hand shoved into Enrico's hair, his fingers wrapped around the velvety tresses and dominating Enrico's movements to lavish attention where Rio wanted it, only for his determination to weaken when the hunger of Enrico's kisses made him give in, and let him have his way all over again.

God, the boy was hot. His lips and hands were everywhere, teasing, testing, urging Rio's body to respond to his bold touch and grind against it, ever so slightly at first, but with his gusto growing with every moment. With his back pressed up against the bus, and Enrico's hand venturing under his shirt to explore his chest, while his lips and tongue showered his neck and shoulder with nibbling kisses, rousing the heat in his loins, Rio had all but blocked out the existence of their small audience and surrendered to the passion of the moment. So when suddenly, a sharp, disbelieving voice sliced through the sound of his heavy breaths and the roar in his ears of the blood rushing through his veins, it took a few moments for the world around him to shift back into focus. Though when his dark eyes, heavy-lidded with lust, searched lazily for the source ofthe distraction, and caught onto the form of Lara, they flew wide open as the realization hit.

"What are you doing?", came her peeved voice where she stood staring at the two boys as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

Though no sooner had those words left her lips, than the shock drained away from her features, and turned them to stone.

"No...", she said, and began backing away from the scene, clearly wanting nothing to do with it, "... know what? None of my business."

Having gotten so into the scene with Enrico, and then suddenly finding himself the spectator of how the two worlds he'd tried so hard to keep widely apart, crashed violently into one another, all Rio could do at first was to stare in startled horror, momentarily frozen to the spot. It took him quite a few seconds to even begin to grasp the collision of his two personas, as though he'd been woken from a vivid dream and was struggling to find his bearings. When he finally did, his first reaction was a spontaneous, flustered;

"Shit! Shit shit!"

His second, was to quickly free himself of Enrico's hands and push him away, in order to hurry after his friend. It hadn't been his intention for her to ever find out about this part of his life, let alone see it, and especially after the talk they'd had last night, about hers and Dominic's relationship, he could only imagine what must be going through her head.

"Lara! Lara, wait!", he called out, and upon reaching her grabbed her by the elbow to urge her to stop. "It's not what you think!"

[Lara Abbott]

Walking away from the scene of Rio's deception, Lara simmered with wordless anger. Anger at him, yes, for turning out to have blatantly lied to her all along, and anger at herself for bursting out the way she had. At the time of it, the shock had been so sudden and genuine her lips had formed the words before her mind could have a chance to rationalize it all but it also left her deepest emotions utterly exposed for all to see, and that bothered Lara. At that particular moment, she didn't care for letting Rio know how deeply jarring it all was to her, and furthermore, she'd seen enough: the sordid details, he could keep to himself.

With the blood rushing in her ears and her head swarming with brooding thoughts, Lara didn't hear Rio's distressed cursing, and wouldn't have heeded it if she had; she was determined to get away from him and to that effect she marched on as quickly as her legs took her without actually running, straight for the opposite end of the parking lot. She could hear him calling her name, ignored it. Rio however did not give up and a few leaping strides later he caught up with her and before she had a chance to turn around and ward him off, Lara felt an unwelcome hand close around her elbow, trying to pull her back.

"It's not what you think!" he tried to convince her; Lara flinched at his touch and quickly shook her arm free of his grasp, at last turning around to face him, frowning. She tried to look him straight in the eye, but found it oddly difficult, so her gaze wavered; she realized it was because his words rang hollow to her, another lie waiting to happen.

"Look it's your life, your choice", she began, shuffling uncomfortably. "It's Brad you should be explaining this to. Just...one thing. Don't lie to me anymore. OK? I trusted you!"

[Rio Adams]

There had been a number of times over the past couple of months, ever since Rio had done his first shoot for Henry's website, that he had tried to imagine what he would have said to his family and friends, if ever deciding to tell them about what he'd gotten up to. Clear to him was the fact that each one would have required their own seperate approach, simply because they were all different people with different values and levels of tolerance, but the one thing they all had in common, was that no matter how much he pondered it, Rio couldn't think of a way to tell any of them, that might spare him what he feared the most; rejection. With every scenario he tried to imagine, he ended up feeling that they would judge him, and that disgust would fill their eyes when looking at him.

He had gotten a taste of it already, from strangers who learned of what he did, but most importantly from his own father. It had been just a glimpse, albeit a rather forceful one, on the day that Rio had come out to his parents, and confessed that he was attracted to his own gender. His father had been livid, more angry than Rio had ever seen him before. Or since, for that matter. It had stopped there, after that one day, because whenever Rio had tried to bring up the subject after that, Colonel Adams had shot him down, and declared that it was all just nonsense. That Rio would eventually come to his senses, and 'stop this juvenile rebellion', these shameless attempts to humiliate himself and his parents.

That kind of reception was a hard thing for a young man to get over, and it was still lodged in Rio's heart, spreading the fear that it would happen again, with others that he loved and cared for, if he ever told them the truth about what he did. The words that would have made him feel comfortable and safe in sharing his secret, simply did not exist. So, no matter how many times he had tried to find those words, he had never succeeded - hence his decision to never, ever tell his loved ones - and standing face to face with a situation he had been so determined to avoid, didn't help. What came pouring out of him, were the only few things to emerge in his horror-fozen mind. Feeble, and blurted out. He couldn't blame Lara for not believing him. Though the anger with which she pulled away from him, along with the way that she couldn't stand to look at him, tapped right into his fears, and made them soar within him.

"Look it's your life", she said, "your choice. It's Brad you should be explaining this to. Just... one thing. Don't lie to me anymore. OK? I trusted you!"

Now that one... That one hurt. It hurt, because she was hurt. And because it indicated that while she had indeed trusted him, she wasn't about to do it anymore.

He had to try and explain it to her, and make her understand that while he might have lied to her, it wasn't about any of the things he had ever said or done as a friend. He had lied only where his job had been concerned, by telling her that he was a call center agent, and that that was where he'd been and what he'd been doing, when in reality he had been doing a shoot. Beyond that, he had never lied to her about anything, least of all his values and his moral opinions.

"Lara, listen...", he thus started, feeling equally uncomfortable since he still had no clue how to go about it all, yet knowing that he had to, and so pushed on, tentative but eager to assure her that he wasn't the lying, cheating prick she must think he was. "Brad knows. I swear he knows; he's known since the start. You can ask him if you don't believe me. And he's okay with it. Really."

Going as far as to say that Brad was fine with it, he wouldn't do, because he knew it wasn't like Brad didn't care. He did care, and he wasn't exactly ecstatic about the fact that Rio shared himself with others, but the career had already been there when the two of them had gotten together, and Brad wouldn't be a hypocrite and ask Rio to change. It wouldn't be fair. Brad knew it, and he accepted it.

"Look", Rio said, though had to take a deep, strengthening breath to try and calm his nerves before continuing: "Everything I said yesterday, I meant it. I wasn't lying. Cheating is not okay, and I would never do it to Brad. I'm head over heels for him."

While he spoke, the emphasis in his voice kept growing, filling it with honesty and vehemence, yet seeing his inner fire fizzle, as he prepared to tell her the rest of the truth, the part he'd been hoping he'd never had to tell her:

"What you saw back there... It wasn't what it looked like. I know how that sounds, but it wasn't. I... I'm working... I model. Sort of."

[Lara Abbott]

Why was she still standing there, when just moments ago she'd been bent on getting as far away from that place as possible? Why was that deeply-felt part of her still urging her to stop, and at least hear him out? Of course, Lara knew why: because he was her friend, and she couldn't turn her back on him without giving him a chance to explain himself. Even if that explanation ended up disappointing her all over again. She just...had to stop. She had to hear him out.

"Lara, listen..." Rio began, tentatively at first but with increasing conviction "Brad knows. I swear he knows; he's known since the start. You can ask him if you don't believe me. And he's okay with it. Really."

Lara gave him a reluctant, sideways glance. It was clear she was rather struggling with the notion, but unlike before she didn't reject it out of hand. She tried to focus on what he was saying, and weigh it against the likelihood that it was actually true: well, some couples did have an “open relationship” policy...except, it wasn't exactly the sort of thing one kept from their closest friends, was it? And Rio certainly had never mentioned either him or Brad seeing other people before.

"Look", Rio continued after a bracing intake of breath "Everything I said yesterday, I meant it. I wasn't lying. Cheating is not okay, and I would never do it to Brad. I'm head over heels for him."

Lara wanted to believe him; she really did. He seemed so...honest, for the lack of a better word, not simply in the way he spoke but in the way his eyes shone with inner conviction as he looked at her. But, as much as Lara did want to believe him, there were still things that did not fit, as much as she tried to twist them around in her head. No, Rio was holding something back, she realized as much. What she couldn't anticipate was the revelation which followed:

"What you saw back there... It wasn't what it looked like.” the young man explained. “I know how that sounds, but it wasn't. I... I'm working... I model. Sort of."

For several moments of absolute silence, Lara simply stared at him, he brow furrowing slightly in confusion and feeling slow for not getting what he meant: ...model? What did he mean by th....It was then that she looked over his shoulders and caught sight of the small camera crew she'd previously missed, who had since abandoned their posts and were staring after them. It was then that a light switch went in Lara's head, and her gaze snapped back at Rio, almost skittish:

"You mean like...porn...?" was her slow, tentative question.

[Rio Adams]

She listened. Thank God, she stopped and she listened. She was angry and hurt about what she thought was his deception - which it sort of was, just not in the way she thought - but she acknowledged his burning desire to explain himself to her, and didn't storm off again, like she'd done at first. Standing there, Lara listened to what he had to say, and struggled to comprehend. Rio could see it in the expression on her face, in the look in her eyes, that his bumbling attempt to tell her the truth wasn't quite reaching the point where it all made sense to her. And how could it, really? Rio had never told her anything that would have given her even the slightest indication that things between him and Brad weren't what they seemed; that there was more to the story than just two boys in love with one another. She'd heard Rio go on and on about how hot and wonderful Brad was, how totally smitten Rio was with him, and how well the two of them got along. She'd witnessed the difficulties they had keeping their hands off of each other, and she and Rio had been each other's shoulder to lean on, when their respective partner's life on the road was taking it's toll. It was no wonder that the idea of Rio being with other people with Brad's consent, took quite a bit of getting used to, and he really couldn't blame her for being sceptical.

But then, there it was. The gradual epiphany. After a few seconds of watching her trying to digest what he'd told her, of trying to make the pieces fit, Rio saw how Lara's gaze shifted to the scene behind him, as if seeking confirmation of what he'd just said about modelling, and how upon setting eyes on Henry, Brendan and the cameras, she started connecting the dots of Rio's implications.
Her eyes returned to him.

"You mean like... porn...?", she asked, uncertainty and doubt as present in her eyes as they were in her voice, as though it was the only conclusion she could come to, but was afraid that she'd be wrong and risk offending him. Or worse; that she'd be right.

In a way, Rio was relieved; her question spared him the dilemma of figuring out how to best go about telling her. In another, and for the most part, he was anything but. The sound of that tone in her voice made it difficult for him to look her in the eye, and thus had his gaze drop to the tips of his converse sneakers and only flick up every now and then; not because he was ashamed of what he did, but because he was afraid that Lara would think he ought to be. That she would judge him, and be disgusted by him. That she would close the book on their friendship, and turn her back on him.

"Yeah...", he admitted slowly, and gave a small nod. "It was even how me and Brad met; he recognized me from the site, and... The reason why I didn't tell you was because I was scared you wouldn't want me as a friend anymore."

He glanced up at her then, just to try and catch a glimpse of her expression at first, but ended up managing to keep his eyes on her for a handful of seconds more.

"You're the best one I've ever had, and I didn't want to loose you, so..."

[Lara Abbott]

Having one's reality unravel right before one's eyes never came easily or without a plethora of questions. People always wondered whether they'd been deceived or merely blinded, and how much deeper the deception went; after all, if one lie was acceptable, what else was? Such thoughts flashed through Lara's mind as she struggled with the notion that Rio had kept a rather major part of his life secret from her, concealing it behind what he thought was a more acceptable front. Why? Was it shame, was it fear? Was it both? Because it soon became clear that her question had hit the mark alright, judging by the way Rio averted his gaze and stared uncomfortably at the ground, as if fearing what he might discover in her expression.

"Yeah...", he finally confirmed "It was even how me and Brad met; he recognized me from the site, and... The reason why I didn't tell you was because I was scared you wouldn't want me as a friend anymore."

Lara chewed down on her lower lip as the weight of Rio's words sank in. Though it all made sense then, it did not altogether erase the feeling of having one's trust betrayed, of being deceived. She believed strongly in friendship and honesty, and that included being open about difficult topics; after all, trust between friends ought to be unconditional, yes? Lara had bonded with Rio because of who he was, not because the way he earned his money and even though she had to admit it came as a bit of a shock, it didn't change her feelings towards him. Frankly, his assumption that it would hurt a little.

"You're the best one I've ever had," he added, to further establish the reason for his deception "and I didn't want to loose you, so..."

She sighed; it was easy enough to imagine why Rio would have feared that his choice of profession might put her off; pornography was, after all, a controversial issue and working in the industry came with all kinds of labels attached. Now, Lara was no prude – how could she be, dating someone like Dominic de Vere? - but she was also not unmoved by the revelation that her friend was getting paid for performing sexual acts on camera. It placed him in a slightly different light, for sure, though devoid of whatever rejection he'd feared; Lara was more concerned than anything. And she wished to tell him so:

"Rio, listen", she began and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Though I admit this will take a little getting used to, what matters most here is you making the right choice for yourself, and being safe. If that is the case, what kind of friend would I be if I judged you for it? You never judged me. I only wish you could've seen that, and had the confidence to be open about it."