Perfection

"Of course. I thought it was such a strange thing for her to think. Everyone knows I'm the needy one an-eeepp!"

Whatever Frankie was going to say was lost in a squeal when Cam stood, lifting Frankie with him, before pushing him into the chair and looming over him, gripping his shoulders hard.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare dismiss my need," Cam growled, suddenly furious. "She was wrong because we are equal. We need each other equally."

He shook Frankie slightly, his eyes hard on Frankie's wide-eyed shocked face.

"I will always be with you. I will always be there. I understand how you need that and it makes me love you more. It doesn't make you needy. You say like it is bad and it makes me so angry. Is not bad."

He gave Frankie another quick shake when he started to speak.

"I was alone until I was twelve. I had no one until Tonio came, and he was a baby. You think I do not understand the fear. You think I do not fear loneliness. Of course I do. It's how I expected to live my life until you came and changed everything. You changed me. I can only be me, with you. So do not underestimate my need for you. It is not a bad thing."

Frankie's hand came up to Cam's cheek now, his fingers stroking as if he were made of glass. "Hush, it's okay now."

"Is not. Is not," Cam stumbled, frustrated and closed his eyes. "I do not know how you make you understand."

"Look at me," Frankie's hands were both on his face now. "Cam, look at me. I understand. I understand now."

Cam opened his eyes and looked into Frankie's gentle eloquent gaze. He could see the truth in the eyes shining with tears and love. Yes, he understood now.

"Now we are equal," Cam murmured on a long, relieved breath. He hadn't realized how badly he had needed Frankie to fully understand him.

"Yes, now we are equal. I'm sorry it took me so long. I'm sorry I made you angry."

Cam shook his head. "I have been frustrated. And scared. I love you," he suddenly realized he was still gripping Frankie's shoulders hard enough to bruise and was filled with remorse. "Scusa."

When Frankie tugged his face closer, he didn't resist. Sinking into the tender kiss.

"I love you," Frankie whispered against his lips, before he let Cam draw back. Then he added with a smirk, "So, it's all about the manhandling today?"

Cam smiled as his heart lifted, reassured by the smirk and the humour in Frankie's eyes, "Should I apologize?"

"No, I kinda like it. Nice change of pace for a toppy bastard like me."

Cam snorted a soft laugh and slid onto the seat next to Frankie, taking him back into his arms.

"It was so hard. To see people, to admire and want people but not want to touch, or be touched. I think you are the only person in the world that I love to touch me. The only person in the world that my lips, hands, and heart could ever ache for."

"And your dick."

"What?" Cam leaned back to look at Frankie's face, now full of mischief.

"Your dick had better be aching for me as well, or this marriage is going nowhere."

Cam rolled his eyes and poked a finger into Frankie's tummy to make him squirm. With caution, as Frankie's tummy was toned enough to break a careless finger.

Then he settled down so their faces were close, and they could look into each other's eyes.

"You and me," Frankie whispered, and held up a pinkie.

"Now it really starts," Cam agreed, linking their fingers together.

"And where will we go?" Frankie asked, still whispering.

"Everywhere," Cam promised. "As long as together. With dance and art. Or one day with art and teaching. I would like to teach, I think."

"You're good at it," Frankie agreed. "You have more patience than me."

"Si. Is true," Cam shrugged, then grinned when Frankie laughed. "And time to enjoy, our friends and our families. And I want to see Cuba. Maybe our own family. And one day when we are no longer in competition against each other, because I have won all the awards and you are happy for me. We will find new adventures as well."

Cam was half relieved, half terrified, when Frankie gently took his wrist.

"Back up there a little. You want kids?" he asked softly.

Cam flushed and found he couldn't meet Frankie's eyes. His heart racing, because they had never talked about this, and probably should have.

"I know that you are an uncle already really, to Danny and Josh. And probably Tonio and Lucia will meet people and have children at some point. But yes," he risked a glance at Frankie who was watching him thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I would like to be a dad."

A soft smile flickered across Frankie's face briefly, "Would you be thinking of adoption or surrogacy?" he asked, before his gaze slipped away slightly. Focusing now on some unknown future. "I suppose with surrogacy we could both have a go and have a couple of kids. But no," he continued without pausing. "For us I think fostering with the intent to adopt would be best. After all, that's how you and Tonio found your real family."

Cam saw Frankie's gaze re-focus, as he brought himself from an imagined future and looked again at him. Before the image went blurry as quiet tears overflowed Cam's eyes.

Frankie made a soft sound of sympathy and gently brushed the tears away, before peppering his face with kisses.

"I love you so much," Cam managed, after a couple of shaky breaths.

"I know," Frankie stated, like it was obvious, making Cam laugh wetly, before more seriously. "And I love you. And I would love to make a family with you one day, Cam."

"Si?"

"Si."

"Good. This is good, I think. Wow, I'm scared and happy."

"You and me," Frankie repeated, taking Cam's hand.

Cam just smiled at him. He knew his smile was soppy and didn't even care. How could he be so lucky?

Frankie snuggled in, his head on Cam's chest, and they both relaxed fully.

Cam's chest vibrating with laughter at Frankie's quiet, "And don't think I missed the bit about you winning all the competitions, sunshine. Coz I didn't!"

-X

That evening, due to popular demand. Otherwise known as incessant begging from Benito. A space was cleared in the activities room, CD's were selected, and after a performance of their Cha Cha (only one mistake -- it had been months!) Cam found himself in an impromptu teaching/dancing session.

It was a fun evening full of laughter and memories. Quite a few people had come up from the town, so it wasn't just the guests and staff.

Cam best enjoyed dancing with Benito's mother. Who was eighty-three and danced with tears and memories of dancing with her late husband in her eyes.

He enjoyed it so much, and was so impressed by her skills, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek when he escorted her back to her chair. Surprising himself. He usually had to know someone very well to engage in hugs and kisses, even as friends.

Cam was very aware that his reputation among his colleagues, those he didn't know so well, was of aloofness.

He also nearly bust a gut laughing when a Spanish lady from the town found out that Frankie was half Spanish and tried some improvised flamenco with him.

For someone who could shine in a tango and crush the competition (including Cam on many occasions) with a paso doble, Frankie sucked at flamenco.

Seriously sucked.

Cam knew that the main issue was they were trying to match their steps, and Frankie didn't like to follow, he liked always to lead. It had been their biggest challenge during the Paris competition.

Later that night, when Frankie was buried deep in his ass, his hips rotating in a steady rhythm that was sending Cam's prostate into a frenzy. He knew Frankie could ride for longer than he could bear and stay sane tonight.

Cam, with wicked intention, started humming the flamenco tune that had been playing that evening.

When Frankie cottoned on, he lost it, and collapsed in hysterical giggles on top of Cam. His cock slipping free and tiggered by his laughter, spilling all over their legs, which only made them both laugh harder.

Cam thought that making Frankie accidently cum, was possibly the funniest thing he had ever seen. He took a steadying breath and started humming 'I Got Rhythm', sending Frankie back into peels of laughter.

-X

The drive back to Naples the following day was not as scenic as the drive down.

Mainly due to the sheets of rain that the old windscreen wipers struggled to cope with.

They chatted, and rested. Switching driving every hour, as the concentration required in such bad weather was extreme.

They were not so far from Naples, and Cam was dozing in the passenger seat, when there was a sudden loud thump, and the car swerved violently.

Cam's shoulder crashed against the window and he opened his eyes to see the road spinning through the windscreen and the safety barrier, on the opposite side of the road, zooming towards the car.

The rain slicked roads were lethal, and although his life passed before his eyes. Not the stuff he had done. It was more the stuff he wanted to do. It was actually less than half a minute of spinning before the car came to a halt.

Cam looked out of the window. The safety barrier was about 3 inches from his door. He could hear the sea crashing against the rocks a few hundred feet below. Although the horizontal rain blocked any view of the sea, or horizon.

He turned and looked at Frankie, who double checked the handbrake, before turning the engine off and letting out a long, shaky breath. "Give me a moment."

"Frankie," Cam said, his voice filled with awe. "That was fucking outstanding driving."

"Tyre blew."

"Si. I felt it. Are you okay?"

Frankie nodded and turned to Cam. "You? Did you hit your head?"

"No. My shoulder only, I'm fine. Frankie look," he pointed out his window. A slightly manic grin exploding over his face when Frankie un-clicked and manoeuvred over to see. "See how close the barrier is."

"Jesus, we're lucky we didn't go over," Frankie gazed down into the angry swirling grey. "Fuck me," he whispered.

"I am going to. Tonight. For hours. You deserve it." Cam promised sincerely. Relieved when Frankie grinned.

"Proof of life, right. I'll take some pampering, for sure." He re-started the car. "I'll just move away from the barrier a little."

Cam nodded and Frankie quickly re-positioned the car giving Cam room to get out.

They were both instantly soaked, upon opening the doors. Finding the passenger side rear tyre was shredded, Frankie handed Cam the short wrench to start loosening the bolts, while he muscled the spare tyre out.

"Easier to loosen them before we jack it," he suggested, and Cam nodded and turned to the wheel. He had never actually owned a car, but he understood the sense in that.

Except the buggering things would not move.

Cam gritted his teeth and put his weight onto the wrench, as Frankie rolled the spare wheel over.

"Will not move," he complained. "I think we will have to call the hire place."

"Can't you budge it," Frankie teased.

"They do them up with machines, I think." Cam pushed his hair out of his eyes. He was already soaked to his underwear. "Jesus!"

Frankie just held his hand out and curious (because he could tell when Frankie was sending out smug vibes), Cam handed it over. Groaning, with some humour, when Frankie twisted the metal and it was suddenly twice as long.

"You have to make the wrench fully erect, to get more leverage," Frankie told him in an exaggerated husky tone, while running his hand up and down the tool in a move that actually made Cam's cock throb.

"Stop that," Cam laughed and slapped his arm. "How did you know?"

"Once again, my Cuban half comes through," Frankie grinned. "Stand aside little lady, I'll deal with this."

Cam snorted and leaned on the car as Frankie got to work. "I can do it."

"It's okay. I don't want your back to go again." Frankie grunted out a breath as he forcefully shoved the wrench. "They're moving. Fucking tight though."

"Is okay. I can stand here and enjoy watching you flex your muscles and sweat," Cam suggested.

"This isn't sweat you moron, it's pissing it down!" Frankie objected. "Stop making me laugh."

Cam slid the jack under, and when Frankie was ready, started jacking the car up. They worked together smoothy. Cursing the torrential rain.

"One of my cousin's is a mechanic," Frankie told him. "I used to hang out with him quite a lot when I was in Cuba."

"Of course. They have all those beautiful old cars out there."

"Well, they're mostly jalopies, but pretty, I guess."

"Janolapies?" Cam queried.

Frankie snorted. "Jalopies. Or Jalopy singular. It's a word for old beaten up cars."

Cam mouthed the word a few times as they rolled the wheel into place. Then he smiled, "Jalopies. It fits. The word, it is right."

"Yea, it's a good one," Frankie agreed. "Watch your back."

"Is okay," Cam reassured him and they heaved the wheel into place. Cam holding it steady as Frankie quickly secured the nuts.

When they lowered the car back down and Frankie tightened the wheel, he warned Cam. "Just put the jack away, I'll help with the wheel."

Aware of the very slight tightness in his back, Cam agreed.

Not long after, having thrown some dirty clothing on the seats to protect them, they were on their way. Cam now driving.

Thirty minutes later they pulled into the car-hire yard. Rain still hammering down like bullets on the roof.

A man waved them into a shelter, and Cam pulled in. Grateful when the noise cut of instantly. His ears were ringing after over five hours of constant drumming.

"Hi, Luca," Frankie hopped out and greeted the man, who looked at them both in amazement.

"Does the car leak, you are wet?"

Hearing the hesitant English, Cam cut the guy a break and replied in Italian. Explaining the blow out and skid. Waving off his apologises.

"It's fine. These things happen."

"The car looks fine, but we will check it thoroughly, and all the tyres. Just in case the skid put any strain on it. She's an old girl, you know. Were you driving?"

"No, Frankie was driving. He's had more experience than me, so that was probably a lucky thing." Cam smiled when Frankie looked up at hearing his name, before going back to shoving their damp clothing back into the cases.

As they were the last expected return of the evening, Luca kindly allowed their sogginess into his old pick up and dropped them at the end of Bella's street.

Cam had to laugh at Bella's shocked expression when she opened the door to their drenched, shivering, selves.

"What, the?"

"Stand back," he suggested. "We will run to the kitchen."

Bella did as he suggested, and they both picked up their cases and dashed to the kitchen, where they could drip on the flagstones without causing any damage.

"We had to change a tyre," he explained, already toeing off his shoes. "I thought we could strip here and chuck the clothes into the machine and then go shower."

Lucia, who had followed them over, rolled her eyes. "Don't start until I'm gone," she insisted and then made gagging sounds, running to her room as Cam grinned and stripped his top off.

"Good idea. We will give you ten minutes privacy," Bella agreed, looking sympathetically at Frankie who was stood trembling and chilled. "Just leave the cases, I will empty them. Go and get warm."

Cam nodded as he slipped his belt free. Frankie hesitantly started on his shoes and socks.

"I'll pop some of Tonio's stuff for you to wear, on the bed while you are in the bathroom," Bella added, before sighing sadly. "It's such a shame. This and Cam being ill. Did you have any fun at all?"

Cam looked over as Frankie spoke, his face lit up in a smile, answering Bella from his heart.

"It was perfect."