Here is Home • The Pack

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Archaic."

"I'm sorry?"

"A seven-letter word for 'dated'. Four across. Archaic."

Lachlan squinted down at the newspaper crossword from over his thick-framed glasses. "Oh." He scribbled it in. "Thanks."

Preston shrugged, continuing to flick indifferently through the channels on the TV.

"There's nothing on," he complained, finally settling on The Real Housewives of Orange County with a huff, throwing the remote down onto the couch beside him.

"That's because it's a Thursday," Lachlan sighed from his left, and Preston heard a rustling as he put the newspaper down onto his lap.

When Preston finally looked over at him he was reaching in his pockets for a cigarette.

"There's never anything good on Thursday afternoons."

"Why's that?" Preston blinked in confusion.

Lachlan lit the cigarette with a match, settling back into the cushions with a contented sound.

"Because they expect everyone to be at work or something, Preston, how am I supposed to know?"

"Sorry," He muttered sarcastically, turning back to the TV.

After a few minutes of crappy reality television and the smoke from Lachlan's cigarette drifting in front of his face, Preston broke the silence.

"What time are Mitch and Jerome bringing the others back?"

Lachlan glanced down at his watch. "Jerome said about four," he said distantly. "The bowling place shuts at five on week days anyway."

"So... We've got the house to ourselves until four?"

Lachlan smirked provocatively up at him; eyes still startlingly sharp even through the lenses of his glasses. "Ruby's upstairs."

Preston twisted on the couch so that his body faced Lachlan's. "She's asleep."

"She'll wake up soon," Lachlan pointed out with a laugh, "I don't want to scar her."

"Like you scarred me, or in a more figurative sense?" Preston teased playfully.

Lachlan laughed again, shoving at Preston's shoulder with his fist. "I already apologized for that, don't make me do it again..."

"Do you have any idea how hard I had to bullshit to Mitch to save our asses on that one?"

Lachlan grinned, rolling his eyes. "I have a pretty good idea." He licked his lips once, and that did things to Preston's stomach that were definitely not normal reactions to that kind of thing.

"Soooo..." Preston smiled innocently at him, tilting his head slightly to the side. "We've got two hours..."

Lachlan laughed, pushing his glasses into his hair as he leaned forwards and pressed a long, deep kiss to Preston's lips.

"Sorry darling," he hummed in a smug voice as he drew back with a soft, wet sound. "I have to make lasagna."

Preston let out a groan as Lachlan slipped off the couch and padded into the kitchen, running his hand through his hair.

"That's not fair," he complained loudly. "I feel victimised."

It had been four days since they'd last had sex. Twelve days since their first time, and four since their last. It had been impossible to find any time alone since then; what with everyone else running around getting their stuff together for school next week.