"How much longer are you going to pretend to be sleeping?" Jake asked matter-of-factly as he tugged the blanket over Tristan's shoulders. Stephan was waiting in his bedroom, next door, so there was no need to play dumb. "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes; I saw your mouth twitch when Stephan brought up the incarceration bit." Jake paused, his hand resting on his little brother's small shoulder."Do you feel guilty about it?"
The child peeled an eye open before pursing his lips and mumbling, "No, not really. It was mostly Angela's scheme, anyway, and we were both used as tools in it. I've got nothing to feel ashamed about. To start with, it wasn't me per se who's partaken in that scheme, but a past self who's not me in any way or form." Then, he snorted, his nose crunching up in distaste. "If anything, it's Stephan's fault for jumping headfirst into an obvious trap."
"Right." Jake nodded, a discreet smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Silence settled; Tristan broke it only when Jake shifted to get up. "Are you sure you want to have that dunce as your partner? Like, are you really sure?"
The question drew a faint chuckle from Jake. He didn't have a clear answer to offer, so instead, he replied with a question of his own, "Would it bother you if I did choose him as my partner?"
His response was a pout.
"Sleep," Jake coaxed, ruffling the boy's hair. "It's past your bedtime—!"
"For starters, can you even go for men?" Tristan cut him mid-sentence, his voice full of reluctance. "I thought you were straight. You've never shown an ounce of interest in men in both of our past lives."
"Well," Jake hummed softly. He had a patient look on his face, like a father comforting an unruly child. "I do prefer women over men, but I've never been opposed to being with another man, either. It's just that I've met my wife in both past lives, and I'm the loyal type. Once I chose someone, I don't look at anyone else."
"Are you sure you won't regret it?" Tristan insisted.
"Regret what?" Jake arched an eyebrow. "Giving a relationship a chance? And why would I regret it? If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I don't fear losing what I have right now. Stephan is too much of an easy-go fool to hold on a grudge if a relationship doesn't work."
"Are you sure?" Tristan narrowed his eyes. "It might just be a facade. The man never shows when he's hurt and always smiles like an idiot. But…." The boy paused to chew on his lower lip, annoyance creasing his brow. "It's clear as day he loves you. If he hadn't, I'd have long chased him out. I'm not letting any asshole slip into your life this time."
"Your possessive side is showing," Jake warned, but didn't take it to heart. His little brother was controlling himself well, and if anything, Jake had been surrounded by monsters in his previous lives and even in the beginning of this one. His worries weren't unfounded. "Sleep, now."
Tristan hummed, nodding slightly. "Don't be too noisy, m'kay?"
A second passed before Jake's brain processed his brother's words, leaving him flabbergasted. He straightened his back and got up, mumbling, "Accepting someone's feelings doesn't mean getting into their bed in the same day."
"It's Stephan we're talking about, though."
Jake wisely chose to keep quiet as he fled Tristan's room and pretended not to hear the half-chuckle, half-snort. He hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Well, no, I did, but… But he'd been trying not to let his mind wander on the subject too much. Even if he knew that was something he'd have to tackle at some point, he'd rather it not be today. He wasn't ready yet for that next step—or perhaps he was running away from it.
Either way, the door closed behind him, and when Jake turned around, he was met with heterochromatic eyes that sparkled with mischief. Stephan was leaning against the wall in the corridor, waiting for him. I told him to wait in my room, that ass. Only, Stephan wasn't the kind to listen.
"Did you eavesdrop?" Jake asked, not turning around the bush.
"Of course not." Stephan shook his head before stretching. "It was taking a little too long, so I decided to wait outside for you. Did you have a good talk with your brother?"
If Jake had noticed Tristan was pretending to sleep, so had Stephan.
"Yes" was Jake's curt answer. "Let's get in the bedroom."
Jake didn't wait for a response and bypassed Stephan, sneaking into the bedroom in one swift motion. He opened the night lamp on the desk, casting a warm light over the office-like furniture filing his room. Without glancing back, Jake removed his slippers and put them next to the closet before sitting on the mattress. The bed cracked under his weight, and only then did Jake consent to crane his neck to meet Stephan's gaze. He could see barely restrained expectation. It was rare for the man to show his emotions to this degree. Like his brother had said, Stephan wore a clown facade most of the time or theatrically portrayed his feelings. At times, it made it hard to tell whether his emotions were real or faked, but on the other hand, the actions he took always spoke volumes about how he truly felt.
A sigh, and Jake patted the mattress beside him. "Come on, sit down."
He didn't need to say it twice. Stephan practically leaped on the bed, his butt bouncing on the mattress. He straightened his back and stared at Jake, his fists clenched on his thighs. I guess even he can get nervous, huh? Perhaps it was to be expected. Stephan had been waiting for a favorable answer for years, and he was about to receive it.
"First off," Jake spoke in a warning tone, "I won't agree to a polygamous relationship. If you cheat on me, even if only once, we're done. There's no second chance." Stephan opened his mouth to say something, but Jake lifted a hand, gesturing for him to wait. "Second off, I've never been in a homosexual relationship. Of course, I've got an idea of how intimacy works between two men, but just to let you know, I don't think I'll be able to lead, and it might take time for me to feel comfortable with more, let's say, erotic stuff."
"Oh my, you're so businesslike even in these conditions…!" Stephan chuckled softly.
"It's better to make everything clear from the get-go than to wait until the breaking point." Jake shrugged, unbothered. He did indeed approach relationships the same way he approached business contracts. Things had to be properly laid down on both sides and agreed upon before processing. It avoided headaches. "Was there something you wanted to add on your part?"
"No, not really." Stephan's smile turned awfully tender, stunning Jake. It wasn't a smile he was used to seeing. Even if Stephan's lips were always curled up, it was mostly in a playful way. Even his voice adopted a warm tone Jake had rarely, if ever, heard. "To begin with, I've got no intention whatsoever of cheating on you or doing anything that'd get me on your bad side. It took me long enough to get to this point; it'd be foolish from me to ruin everything for a momentary gain."
Fair point. Jake tilted his head in agreement. If Stephan had no intention of committing to their relationship, he wouldn't have waited for him for over two years. "Then, I guess that makes us lovers from today on, huh?"
Lovers. The word left a strange, foreign feeling on his tongue.
"Can I kiss you?" Stephan asked, leaning slightly forward. Joy brightened his face as the warm light of the night lamp cast orange hues on his white, silvery hair. The roots atop had gotten darker. He needs to dye it soon. An intrusive thought, one that didn't have its place in the current situation, but one Jake couldn't help thinking about. "Jake?"
Jake scratched his cheek, then eyed Stephan's lips. They had lingered on his neck numerous times, but never on his mouth.
"Sure," he agreed.
The next instant, hands cupped his cheeks, slipping below his finger, and warm, moist lips pressed against his. It was a gentle yet greedy kiss, one that betrayed Stephan's yearning. It took Jake aback, but he didn't push the man away and willingly let himself fall back onto the mattress as Stephan flipped himself atop him. A tentative tongue probed, and Jake parted his lips to let it enter and mangle with his. It explored with restraint, almost as if Stephan was afraid to go overboard, even though he couldn't resist deepening the kiss. Jake chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, bringing him closer. A kiss was alright. A kiss didn't bother him. If anything, it made his chest well up with warmth.
When Stephan released his lips, Jake was out of breath. He barely registered when Stephan pressed his forehead against his, their noses almost brushing. A wince resounded as his partner whined, "I swear, waiting for you to get ready for more is going to be another kind of torture altogether."
As the words hovered in his mind, Jake finally noticed something hard pressing against his lower half. A laugh escaped him. He pecked at Stephan's lips, whispering against them, "Well, maybe next time, we can try a few things. For now, there's a kid next door, so you'll have to restrain yourself."
His answer was another long, drawn-out whine.