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They had a flat at Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames, a beach front home in Northumberland and another in the Vendée, in France.

They flew between them. There was a piano in every home.

Life was good. Better than Zeph could ever have dreamed of.

They saw plenty of Martin and Paulo and a little bit of Thomas.

Jack was still very careful. So was Thomas.

He propelled Zeph down the stairs to the parking under the building, rather than use the lift. Presumably so they were unlikely to meet anyone. They had a couple of cars, but the one Jack was dragging him towards was one they usually left in place unless it was needed for work.

“Why aren’t we using the underground?” Zeph asked with a smile on his face.

Jack made a kissy face, then glared.

Once they were in the car and heading away from the office, Jack relaxed. The windows were tinted enough that his face wasn’t clear.

“Your lips are infused with intense hydration,” Zeph said. “It leaves them instantly plumped and moisturised.”

“Does it?”

“The lipstick was inspired by the radiance of precious gems.”

Jack glanced in the mirror. “I can see that.”

“It empowers confidence and self-expression.”

“Well, clearly.”

Zeph stroked his knee, dragging his fingernails up and down the material of Jack’s trousers and heard him groan.

“The lipstick is infused with diamonds, 24 carat gold and some other stuff that I don’t recognise. Aqua in Pool sounds like an exercise not a chemical ingredient but hey-ho, you look sexy.”

“It’s going to be all over you soon.”

“Promises, promises.”

Jack laughed.

Zeph had saved the best detail. “It stays on for up to ten hours.”

“What the fuck?” Jack shot him a look of horror. “We have dinner reservations.”

“I dare—”

Jack slapped his hand over Zeph’s mouth. “Don’t say it. Don’t!”

It was amazing that after a prolonged period of rigorous sexual gymnastics, followed by a hot shower, Jack’s lips were still tinged red. Zeph pondered whether that could be used as a selling point. The nail varnish had gone though, much to Jack’s glee and Zeph’s disappointment.

“I can’t understand it.” Jack rubbed again at his lips as they headed to the restaurant inside the power station shopping centre.

“You’ve tried so hard to get rid of it that you’ve bruised your lips.” Zeph slid his fingers into Jack’s. Though it wasn’t just that. There was a definite trace of the lipstick.

“You were really into it,” Jack said quietly.

“Surprisingly.”

“Want me to—”

“Wear it again? Yes, please.”

“I was going to say—buy some for you.”

“For me to put on you?”

Jack laughed. “You can try.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It always is. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

When they’d finished their meal and were on their way home, Zeph handed Jack a tube about five inches long wrapped in silver foil.

“What’s this?” Jack asked. “I can see it’s too long for a lipstick and you had no time to buy it.”

“Unwrap it.”

It was a green marker. Zeph wondered if he’d get it. Jack’s dark-eyed glaze told him he did.

“Skin friendly. Non-toxic. Washes off.” Eventually. Zeph didn’t add that. “It’s for me to use really. Up to you. You can put it in your pocket or you can give it to me.”

Jack smiled and handed it to him.

Which was why, later that evening, Zeph found himself fucked hard by a green dragon.

Life was pretty much perfect. All he needed to do now was talk Jack round about getting a dog.

The End