Leo Payton has been straight for the past 20 years of his life. However, he realizes he's gay after sleeping with his best friend's elder brother, Archer Lacelle.

Leo ties himself up with Archer's tie and says, "Archie, you know that I've never had a girlfriend since I was young."

The hotel room was a huge mess.

Leo Payton sat by the bed in a daze, staring at the myriad of used rubbers scattered all over the floor.

What was going on? Who had he slept with last night?

He'd had a little too much to drink the night before, and the hangover was giving him a massive headache. He couldn't quite remember what had happened.

But at the very least, from the few memory fragments he managed to recall, Leo was sure that he'd slept with a man last night.

Also, Leo was the one who had topped the other man. He could still remember the man's moans in his ears.

Before Leo could snap back to his senses, his best friend, Gavin Lacelle, called him on the phone.

"Leo! My brother's just returned from abroad. Didn't you say that you've been wanting to meet him?"

Leo had been staying with Gavin at the Lacelle mansion lately, and he'd been growing increasingly curious about Gavin's older brother, who was known as a financial genius.

"Alright. I'll be right back after I clean up for a bit," Leo replied, rubbing his temples.

Just as Leo got up from the bed, he suddenly hissed aloud in pain when he stepped on something. Upon closer inspection, Leo realized that it was a button. He picked it up, figuring that the button had to have been torn off someone's shirt.

For some reason, Leo decided to pocket the button. Then, he got into his car and drove back to the Lacelle mansion.

…

Leo was utterly stunned and confused when Gavin introduced him to Archer Lacelle.

Although it was the first time they'd seen each other, Leo couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen Archer before.

Archer's eyes lit up with glee. He extended his arm toward Leo for a handshake and said, "I've heard Gavin talk about you a lot. It's nice to have finally met you."

Leo lowered his gaze and looked at Archer's outstretched arm. There were red marks around Archer's wrist, and his long sleeves weren't able to shield them from view.

More fragmented memories appeared in Leo's head. He suddenly recalled that he had most probably kissed and nibbled the very same wrist last night, too, giving it a red mark.

It wasn't until Leo felt a squeeze on his palm that he quickly snapped back to the present.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Archer. Archie?" Leo asked in a meaningful tone.

Archer didn't reply and released Leo's hand. Then, he turned to leave. "I still have some work to do in my room, so please excuse me."

Archer walked a little funny.

Even though he tried his best to mask his discomfort, Leo immediately caught on to it. Leo then cast a quick glance at Gavin, who had retreated into the couch with his mobile games.

He had a hunch, and he was going to prove it.

Leo went up to Archer's door and knocked gently. After going in, Leo grinned and said, "I'm here to return something, Archie."

Then, Leo withdrew the shirt button from his pocket and showed it to Archer, who was watching him the entire time.

The ruined shirt was now lying on the bed in a heap. It seemed to Leo that Archer had been planning to get rid of it.

"You actually found it? I thought it was gone for good last night," Archer said, the corners of his lips twisting upward in a smirk. "The needle and thread are there. You can mend it for me."

Leo then realized that, although last night's encounter had been an accident, Archer must have already known who Leo was beforehand.

"What's the matter?" Archer asked, coming closer to Leo and backing him against the table before trapping him there. "You were the one who tore it. Aren't you going to take responsibility for your actions?"

Archer's voice was soft and velvety, yet with a subtle accusation in his tone as he forced some of his words out.

Leo lowered his gaze and looked at him. Then, his gaze slowly shifted down into Archer's neck, where he saw a very obvious bite mark on his nape.

Leo recalled Archer sobbing aloud when he bit and marked him the night before.

It got Leo wondering how many more telltale, incriminating marks were still hidden under Archer's clothes.

Archer seemed to have read Leo's mind as he began unbuttoning his shirt. He ran his fingers from the bite mark on his neck down to the purple bruise on his chest.

"Wanna take a closer look?" Archer asked, his lips curling into a grin. "It's still hurting until now."

Archer continued undoing his shirt buttons while Leo's heart continued thumping against his chest. His heartbeat was erratic now, and his breathing was also getting ragged.

Leo had always believed that he was straight until the incident on the night before.

But Archer was just too attractive for him to resist. He had a slim, defined yet muscular waist, and Leo also couldn't forget the sight of Archer's long legs shaking and shuddering in the air.

Suddenly aware of where his thoughts were going, Leo grabbed Archer's wrist and stopped him. "I-I'm going to mend the shirt now."

He couldn't let his dangerous thoughts continue like that. Otherwise, he was pretty sure that he would get a nosebleed and a heart attack in one.

He could hear Archer chuckling softly behind him as he fought to calm himself down with deep breaths.

"Since you're mending it, I'll go take a shower in the meantime," Archer said.

Leo pricked himself on the finger.

He stared at Archer in disbelief.

Archer just cocked his eyebrow back at Leo and replied, "I spent the whole day travelling yesterday and even got my guts rearranged by you last night. Can't a man just shower in peace?"

Leo pricked himself on the finger again. He quickly averted his eyes and suddenly wished that he were deaf so he didn't have to hear what he'd just heard.

"Aren't you wary of me at all?" Leo asked with a click of his tongue.

Archer answered ambiguously, "Gavin told me you were straight."

Leo couldn't deny that. He used to think that he was straight, too.

He fell silent after that, listening to the sounds of the shower in the bathroom instead.

Leo just couldn't calm himself down. He couldn't get rid of the mental image that was already conjured in his head, either.

Leo gulped softly, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, as he continuously muttered under his breath like a mantra, "I am straight. I am straight…"

He was just done mending the shirt and putting it away when Archer came out of the shower. Leo turned around and said, "I've just put the shirt away. It's my first time—"

Leo had wanted to say that it was his first time sewing a button onto a shirt, and that he didn't know if Archer would be happy with his handiwork.

However, before Leo could get the rest of the words out of his mouth, his breath suddenly caught in his throat.

Archer had stepped out of the shower with a towel loosely wrapped around his lower body. The entirety of his body was covered in red, blotchy marks, and Leo suddenly didn't know where else to look.

When Leo caught himself staring at Archer's thighs, he pinched himself angrily, thinking that he had stooped so low he was no better than an animal.

However, Archer just chuckled and said, "I know it's your first time. You've got literally zero skills and knowledge, but you gave it your all. Nice try."

Leo gritted his teeth.

He knew that Archer was twisting his words and teasing him on purpose, but he just couldn't help a bitter feeling rising in his chest.

"You sound like you've had a lot of experience," Leo said, getting to his feet.

He wasn't going to play by Archer's rules.

Archer was eventually cornered against the closet door. He mumbled softly, "I just watched a lot of stuff."

"If you think I suck, then maybe you should teach me, Archie," Leo said in a deep voice.

Archer remained calm and pushed his hands against Leo's chest. "I can't. We don't have any rubbers."

He seemed certain that he could control Leo like this, so he didn't seem the least bit afraid. However, Leo looked down at Archer and met his gaze.

"Archie, do you still remember how many we used last night?"

Archer had been so lost in pleasure last night, flitting in and out of consciousness. He couldn't possibly have kept track of anything.

"Eleven," Leo said, leaning close to Archer's ear. "We almost finished up a 12-pack box. Wanna guess where the 12th one is, hmm?"

The cold aluminium foil was then pressed against Archer's lower stomach as Leo slowly inched it up his body.