#zero plot

Max: hi

Max: are you busy

Rico: Not too busy for you.

Rico: How are you doing? Still staying with Daniel?

Max: yes

Max: about that

Rico: If he kicked you out...

Max: NO

Max: not like that

Rico: Okay, good.

Rico: Is he being a jackass again?

Max: sort of

Max: look this is awkward

Rico: ?

Max V. is calling...

Rico startles, squinting down at his phone screen as he tugs at the strap of his glove with his teeth, yanking it off and pressing accept.

"Max, hey. What'd he do?"

"It is less what he did and more what he is not doing. And I would not- ugh. I would not even be telling you, but you've sort of gotten wrapped up in this whole thing, and really it's your fault that I can't finger myself anyways-"

Rico's eyebrows fly up his forehead, and he makes a gesture at his team before stepping out into the hallway. Max is lucky that he wasn't drinking anything.

"Sorry, say that again?"

Max sighs over the phone, frustrated and borderline- Rico would almost call it whiny.

"I can't- I can't do it myself, I'm not any good at it. It doesn't feel as good as when you do it, and Daniel noticed, and-"

Rico narrows his eyes, already disliking where this is headed. He's mildly curious about how many bones he's allowed to break before Max gets upset about it- better to do them one at a time and make it look like an accident? Or all at once, to really make it stick?

"Was he upset?"

"No- not really upset at all, which is kind of weird now that I'm thinking about it. He is being a dick though."

Rico can't find it within himself to be too surprised. Daniel's got all sorts of weird hangups about sexuality and Max, even after his brief interaction with Rico- which clearly wasn't enough.

"How so?"

Max huffs again, definitely whiny this time, and amusement curls in Rico's chest. It reminds him of late nights in uni, listening to Max complain about assignments over takeout boxes. He's familiar with whiny Max.

"He said if I was so hopeless about it without you, to just-"

Max goes quiet, breath hitching oddly, and Rico pauses, jerked out of his thoughts.

"Max, are you touching yourself?"

There's a soft moan over the phone, and Rico slips from the hallway into an empty bathroom, palming at his dick. The blood has rushed out of his head, phone pinned between his shoulder and ear.

"I'm sorry, yes, need it so bad-"

"Fuck, you're being so good Max. Keep talking honey, tell me what he said."

Max whimpers over the line, and Rico hears a rustling noise before he speaks again.

"He told me to just invite you over, and I could- ah, could come on your cock if I wanted it so much."

The dizzying blood rush leaves Rico gripping the edge of the sink. His sweet housemate, smart and dorky and inexperienced- he may not be a virgin anymore thanks to Daniel, but Rico knows that doesn't necessarily mean Max has been treated right.

Rico's been told he's a good partner, that his endless patience and gentleness during sex helps balance out the size of his dick. He's diligent about prep work, but Max. Max would cry about it, Rico just knows it.

Daniel's not treating him right. If Rico goes over there- he's going to need to educate. Show him why it's so much better when your partner is a sated mess, why the aftercare is the best part.

He needs to take care of Max first. He presses the heel of his palm into his shorts again, trying to decide.

He and Max have been headed down this path since the first night. Rico would be perfectly content keeping their relationship in its weird nebulous state, but he's here for what Max needs.

Max wants things to be good with Daniel, which means it's Rico's job to facilitate that- and if part of that process includes giving Max the best lay of his life, than Rico's just setting the bar of Daniel.

He breathes out slow, forcing himself to focus. At least one of them needs to be thinking.

"Do you want that? No hard feelings Max, I want you to be honest."

Max makes a punched out noise, and his voice is wavering when he speaks.

"Yes, I- but only if you also want it, I wouldn't-"

He's getting stuck in his own head, Rico can tell.

"I would love to come do that for you, Max. But I've got some time left at the gym, so you might have to wait a little longer. Are you still touching yourself?"

"Only a little bit, Rico, please- need it so bad, I want to come, I'll be good-"

Rico hums low, hand shoved into his shorts, fingers curling around the tip of his cock.

"You are being good for me. I'll be there as soon as I can, I promise. Are you going to be okay for another hour or two?"

Max whines again, needy and pitchy. Rico tries to imagine what he might look like-

"Yes, I'll be okay, I'll be good."

He knows Max is going to be good. He wouldn't be upset even if Max wasn't, because the entire thing is hot.

"I'll be there before you know it. Send me the address, yes?"

Max's shaky sigh goes straight to his dick, and his fingers are smeared with precome as he slowly jerks, careful not to be audible.

"I will, thank you Rico, thank you, I'll be good."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Max. I want to help take care of you."

It takes him another minute or so to get through Max's haze, reminding him again to send him an address, that Rico will be there as soon as he can.

He double checks that the call is disconnected before he really gets his hand wrapped around himself, painfully hard. His brain is stuffed full of thoughts about Max- the way he fits so perfectly underneath him, the way his legs might look wrapped around Rico's waist, how it might feel for his nails to claw down Rico's back-

This might be his only opportunity to show him what good sex is supposed to feel like. Rico is going to make it stick.

------

Max is sulking, hips lazily grinding into the bed as he waits. His call with Rico had been almost an hour ago, and he's been hard ever since- every time he tried to stop thinking about it, it creeps back into his brain- along with the reminder of what he knows Rico looks like when he isn't hard.

Max should probably be using this time to stretch.

He ruts his hips into the mattress again, fingers curled in the sheets.

"Having fun?"

Daniel's voice from the doorway startles him, and Max gasps, cheeks burning as he freezes.

He can hear Daniel laugh, and then there's fingers lightly tracing across the back of his ankle.

"Well don't stop on my account babe. I was enjoying the view."

Max twists his head back into the pillows, flush with embarrassment, hyperaware of Daniel's fingers.

"Did you call Rico?"

He nods, rolling his hips again without realizing, caught up in the thought of Rico's fingers, Rico's hands, his cock inside of him-

Daniel hums lightly.

"Good."

Some part of Max is aware that Daniel's got a weird hangup about the whole thing, but he can't figure out what it is, and Daniel told him to call Rico, so Max isn't going to feel bad about that.

There's a loud buzzing noise through the apartment for a moment, and Daniel steps away, leaving a friendly little pat on the back of Max's thigh.

"Concierge is letting someone up- hope you're ready, babe."

------

Daniel has a nice condo. Rico doesn't want to think about the eye watering price tag on it, this high up in the heart of the city, but he can respect the work of whatever interior designer Daniel hired.

He's setting his keys and wallet down on the entryway shelf when Daniel comes around the corner, casually dressed in lounge clothes. It's different from the last time they'd met, when Rico had pinned him against the concrete wall, watched him pretend like it didn't make him hard.

He's looking down at him now, unimpressed.

Daniel offers him a blinding smile, completely fake.

"Rico, mate, glad you could make it."

Rico keeps his face flat, narrowing his eyes slightly as he steps forward into Daniel's space, towering over him as he rests one hand gently on his waist, leaning down next to his ear.

He keeps his voice low and soft- they don't need Max any more in the middle of this than he already is.

"I'll deal with you later."

Daniel's pupils blow wide, mouth parting as Rico gives his waist a harsh squeeze, stepping away from him.

"Where's Max."

Daniel swallows, and then he's leading them down a hallway, socks quiet against the hardwood floor. Rico can see Max as soon as the doorway comes into view- the bed is positioned to be seen from the hallway when the door is open.

He's splayed out on top of rumpled sheets, the muscles of his back flexing as he rolls his hips down into the mattress. His hair is wild in the way it gets when it's dried from the shower without styling, and Rico takes a moment to simply watch, drinking in the sight before he steps forward.

Daniel is still hovering in the doorway, and Rico eyes him, wondering how much his fragile mentality can handle.

Ultimately, Daniel's miraculous ability to get this far in life without confronting who he actually is isn't Rico's problem. He nods his head at the chair, cocking an eyebrow when Daniel pauses.

There's a thread of satisfaction in his chest when Daniel slinks over to the chair, fidgety and nervous.

Rico turns his attention back to Max. It's about teaching now- a hands on practical lesson.

He settles his palm between Max's shoulders, dragging it slowly down as his back as Max gasps underneath him, arching and twisting his head to meet Rico's eyes.

"Rico-"

"Hi, sweetheart."

Max's face is flushed, pink across his cheeks and ears, eyes glassy and wide as he grips at Rico's arms, practically dragging him into the bed.

Rico allows it, maneuvering so that his back is against the headboard, Max pressing into his lap. He steadies him with his hands across his waist, fondness lighting up his chest.

"Easy, Max."

Max frowns, lips pressing into a pout.

"Rico, I have already been waiting, I want-"

He's whiny, clearly having expected Rico to just come in and fix things.

Rico runs his hands down Max's sides, thumbs brushing over the soft skin under his ribs.

"You have to let me prep you, okay? You've been very good, waiting this long, I just need a little bit longer."

He brings one hand up, carefully cradling Max's face. They've crossed just about every line of their friendship lately, and Max gets clingy, needs reassurance- Rico's willing to take the risk that this might help.

He leans closer, carefully watching Max, still running his other hand soothingly down Max's side.

"This okay?"

Max nods, eyes blown.

"Please."

Rico's gentle with it, carefully shifting Max in his lap as he kisses him, chaste and easy until Max's mouth falls open. He's eager, focused on getting more, moving easily where Rico wants him.

He pulls back, heart tugging at the mournful noise Max makes.

He's pretty like this, perched over Rico's thighs, pale skin and lean muscle on display, pink flush down his chest.

Rico's eyes flick over briefly to Daniel, mesmerized in the chair, fingers gripping tight into the fabric of the arms. It'll be interesting to watch him fall apart over this- but he's not Rico's priority.

There's a bottle of lube on the nightstand, easily within reach for Rico, and he pressed a brief kiss to Max's lips before leaning over and snagging it.

"You're doing good for me sweetheart, keep being patient."

He arranges them so Max is laid out on his back, hands wrapped around Rico's arms. It's easy to flick to cap of the bottle, even easier to quirk an eyebrow at Daniel, a silent motion for him to pay attention.

He lets the lube sit between his fingers for a moment, letting it warm to body temperature as he leans down and kisses Max again, making his way across his jaw, down his neck.

Max presses up into it, breathy as his fingers tighten around Rico's biceps.

"Ah- feels good, fuck, please-"

Rico hums against his skin, bringing his fingers down to trace against Max's ass, kissing against his jaw.

"I know, I'm on it."

His first finger goes easy- he could probably do two right now, but that's not the point. The point is showing how prep can be good, just as good as the actual sex.

Max's legs fall open for him, gasping as Rico works his finger carefully, letting him adjust.

His nails dig into Rico's arms when he brushes against his prostate, arching up into his grip.

"Missed you, missed your fingers, I can- I can take another one, please-"

Rico grins, presses another kiss to Max's lips as he pushes in his second finger.

"So pretty for me, Max, all stretched out here on the bed- you put up with so much, don't you?"

Max blinks up at him, wiggling his hips when Rico's fingers fall still.

"Rico."

He laughs softly, scissoring them slowly inside of him.

"Really, Daniel here is very lucky you're as sweet and patient as you are, yeah?"

He deliberately looks up at Daniel, who's white knuckling the fabric of the chair with one hand, the other shoved into his pants, bottom lip caught between his teeth.

His eyes widen at being addressed, cheeks flushed. Rico scoffs, looking back down at Max.

"He's just ungrateful, Max. That's his problem to solve, not yours."

Max's head drops back as Rico teases a third finger, moaning.

"How- How many, please, I'm being good."

Rico kisses him again, appeasing.

"I want to get to four, sweetheart. You're being perfect, don't worry. I just want to make sure you're nice and ready for me- I'm not going to hurt you."

Max whines, shifting his hips to try and get Rico's fingers deeper, starting to get impatient.

"I'm ready, Rico, I want-"

Rico curls his three fingers against Max's prostate, watches him arch underneath him as he moans.

"Please, please-"

Another soft kiss to Max's collarbone, and he's carefully working the three fingers, trying to stretch him gently.

"I want you to tell me something first, yeah?"

Max's eyes flutter back open, watery and wide as he looks at him.

"Whatever you want, I'll say whatever-"

There's a smile tugging at the corners of Rico's mouth, working one of his hands up Max's chest.

"I want you to tell me that you're good, and that you deserve better."

Max's breathing stutters, confused. There's a sharp inhale from the chair, and Rico's mouth curls into a vicious smirk, tucked by Max's jaw where he can't see.

He looks up at Daniel from under his lashes, braced completely over Max as he works him apart with his fingers.

He deliberately stops moving his fingers, and Max makes a frustrated cry, gripping Rico tight enough that he's half expecting to have little fingerprints bruises tomorrow morning.

"Rico-"

He doesn't break eye contact with Daniel, speaking low near Max's ear.

"Say it, sweetheart."

Max bucks his hips impatiently, squirming under Rico. His blush has gotten darker.

"I-"

Rico lets his pinky tease at the edge of Max's rim, but he doesn't move the other three fingers.

"You're good, and you deserve better."

"I'm good-"

Rico curls his fingers directly into Max's prostate, and he chokes out a loud moan, eyes wide.

"Almost there."

His pinky slips in easily, and he carefully scissors them, testing the give.

"And I- I deserve better."

Daniel's squirming in the chair, head tilted back as he palms at his dick, and Rico doesn't know him very well, but-

"Stop touching, Daniel."

Daniel freezes, and Max squirms under Rico again, impatient.

Rico locks eyes with Daniel, smug.

"I think you know that I want you to behave- and it's not like it's hard, is it? Max is doing such a good job showing you how to be good."

Daniel gulps, mouth opening for a moment before Rico turns his attention back to Max. He's not interested in anything he has to say.

Max tugs at his arms, pulling him down for a kiss as Rico finally pulls his fingers out.

He brushes a thumb across Max's cheek, watching him pant underneath him.

He's so good- Rico has no idea how Daniel has fucked this up so bad. Max is perfect, easy to work with and eager to please.

"Want to show him how pretty you are when you get fucked properly?"

Max flushes deeper, fingers tightening across his biceps.