AUTHOR'S POV
Pete couldn't finish his sentence. Porsche told him he didn't have to answer right then. He suggested that if Pete just listened to his heart, he would eventually find the truth.
The next day, Vegas started trying really hard to get Pete's attention. Even though Pete ignored him, Vegas didn't give up. He saw it as a challenge and did everything he could to impress Pete and show that he could be trusted.
A month went by like this. One day, Kin told everyone they had a guest. Alex joked, "A guest? I thought I was part of the family!" As soon as Pete saw Alex, he ran over and hugged him tightly.
Alex asked if Pete had missed him, and Pete said he did. When Alex called him "baby" and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Vegas lost his cool. He stepped in and pulled them apart, angrily saying that Pete belonged to him. Pete could only shout his name in surprise.
Vegas tried to look sweet and innocent, giving Pete his best "puppy eyes." Pete didn't buy it at all and just stared him down until Vegas backed off with a pout. Watching this, Alex laughed and teased Vegas about being "scared of his wife." Pete blushed a deep red, quickly snapping back that he wasn't anyone's wife and threatening to kick Alex out if he didn't be quiet.
The playful mood shifted when Alex noticed Macao. He looked at the younger brother with a strange, guilty expression. Macao caught the look and immediately became angry, clearly bothered by whatever Alex was thinking. Sensing the growing tension, Porsche stepped in and suggested that Alex should go get some rest.
Pete offered to cook Alex's favorite food to make him feel welcome. Alex almost called him "baby" again but stopped himself just in time when he saw both Vegas and Macao glaring at him with death stares. He quickly corrected himself and called him Pete instead before heading to his room.
Later, while Alex was alone in his room, Macao walked in without even knocking. Alex felt the air in the room grow heavy and tense as he looked up. He nervously asked what Macao was doing there, and Macao replied with a serious tone: "We need to talk."
Alex started by apologizing for what had happened between them, but Macao wasn't having it. Furious, Macao told him he didn't need an apology because Alex hadn't done anything wrong. Despite Alex's insistence that he shouldn't have treated Macao that way, Macao hesitated for a moment before dropping a bombshell: everything that happened was his own choice.
In a rush of honesty, Macao confessed that he actually liked Alex and had felt that way since the very first time they met. He admitted that he had tried to ignore his feelings, but they only grew stronger over time. He told Alex how happy he was to find out that Alex and Pete weren't actually together, but seeing Alex cry over Pete had completely broken his heart. Macao pleaded with him, saying that while he knew Alex loved Pete, he couldn't imagine life without Alex.
Macao then tried to clear up the "incident" from their past. He took full responsibility, explaining that he was the one who approached Alex and made the decision. He confessed that his longing for Alex had been so intense that he simply lost control in the moment.
The confession was too much for Alex to handle. Clearly overwhelmed or upset, he told Macao to leave. When Macao tried to speak again, Alex cut him off, shouting for him to get out of the room immediately.
Macao's eyes welled up with tears as he hurried out of the room, feeling the weight of Alex's rejection. To his surprise, he found his brother, Vegas, standing right outside in the hallway. Overwhelmed, Macao threw himself into his brother's arms and hugged him tightly. Vegas held him close, gently stroking his hair to help him stop crying. Softly, Vegas suggested they go talk, and Macao gave a small, shaky nod in agreement.
Back inside the room, the silence was heavy. As soon as Macao left, Alex slumped down onto the floor. He sat there alone, pulling his legs close to his chest and hugging them tight. He stayed in that position, lost in his own thoughts and the tension of everything that had just been said.
ALEX'S POV
It had been a month since I'd seen everyone. When I finally arrived, Kin introduced me as a "guest," which I couldn't help but joke about. I'd always thought of myself as family here, so I teased him a bit. But any playful annoyance I felt vanished the second I saw Pete. He didn't hesitate—he jumped right into my arms and hugged me so tightly it felt like he'd never let go.
Holding him again felt right. I asked him if he'd missed me, and when he whispered that he did, I couldn't help but call him "baby" and tell him I missed him too. I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, just like old times. It was a sweet moment, or at least it was until Vegas decided to ruin it.
He looked absolutely annoyed and physically pulled us apart. I was stunned as he possessively declared that Pete belonged to him. Pete looked just as shocked as I was, gasping out Vegas's name. It was clear that while I was gone, things had become a lot more simpler between them...
I couldn't help but laugh when I saw Vegas trying those ridiculous puppy eyes on Pete. It didn't work at all; Pete just stared him down until he backed off, pouting like a kid. I teased him about being scared of his "wife," which made Pete turn bright red. He snapped at me to shut up, even threatening to kick me out, so I figured I'd better play nice for a second.
Then I noticed Macao standing there. I couldn't help the guilty look on my face, and he definitely saw it—he looked absolutely furious. Porsche must have sensed how awkward things were getting because he suggested I go get some rest. Pete, being his usual sweet self, offered to make my favorite food. I almost slipped up and called him "baby" again, but the death stares I got from both Vegas and Macao stopped me dead in my tracks. I quickly corrected myself and headed to my room.
I was just starting to settle in when Macao burst through the door without even knocking. The whole mood shifted instantly, and I felt my chest tighten with nerves. He looked so serious standing there that I could barely get the words out to ask what he was doing. His only response was a cold, "We need to talk," and I knew right then that I wasn't going to like whatever came next.
I started by telling Macao how sorry I was for what I did. I felt terrible about how things went down between us, but he just got angry. He told me he didn't want my apology because, in his mind, I hadn't done anything wrong. I tried to insist that I should have treated him better, but he cut me off with a confession that completely caught me off guard.
Macao told me that everything that happened was his own choice—that he did it willingly. Then, he looked me in the eye and said he liked me. Not just a little, but that he'd had feelings for me since the first day we met. He explained how he tried to hide it, but hearing me talk to Pete made him realize he was happy we weren't a couple. Seeing me cry over Pete had broken his heart because he couldn't stand seeing me in pain. He told me he couldn't live without me.
He even tried to take all the blame for "that incident," saying he was the one who approached me and lost control because he wanted me so much.
It was all too much to hear. My head was spinning, and I couldn't look at him. I just needed him to go. I told him to leave, and when he tried to say my name again, I snapped. I shouted at him to get out immediately.
After he left I locked the door and curled up behind the door and started thinking of everything that happened today.....