Jason glanced in the rearview mirror as he pulled into the driveway at Brad's late Saturday afternoon. He wasn't expecting to see Julien wide awake after the long drive through L.A. traffic that was more starts and stops than cruising, but his son was staring out the window with big blue eyes.
It was date night - the first of many that were scheduled in the upcoming weeks - and Jason was taking Ryan out to a French restaurant they'd never been to together. His eyes moved from the mirror to his husband sitting in the passenger seat of their SUV, dressed all in black. There was something so incredibly appealing about Ryan in black dress clothes, even more than seeing him around the house in a black muscle shirt or black jeans. He was undeniably masculine and sexy, and the absence of color in his dress made his blue eyes pop more than usual. It had Jason thinking about things other than eating.
Jason put the car in park and reached over, taking Ryan's hand quickly. "It's too bad Talinda is babysitting the twins right now," he said, conveniently skipping over the fact that Rob was with her. He'd been polite on the way out of the house when their paths crossed, but that didn't mean he had to continue to acknowledge the other man's presence in his house while they were away. "If the house was empty I'd say let's forget dinner and just go back home." He squeezed his husband's hand and then leaned close as Ryan looked his way, connecting their lips in a soft kiss. "You look amazing," he added as they pulled away from each other. "I need to take you out more and give you an excuse to dress up for me."
Ryan wasn't the most comfortable in dressier clothes, but for date night with his husband, he could handle it. "I'm glad you approve," he said, flipping his hand over his front. "Chazzy picked this out earlier when he was playing dress up with me."
He leaned across their seats to give Jason a return kiss. "You look handsome yourself. If you really want to skip dinner, we can be naughty and get a hotel room instead. By the hour," he added with a chuckle.
"By the hour?!" Jason exclaimed with a scandalized look. He was laughing though, at the look on Ryan's face. "Do you know what kind of dump we'd end up in by the hour?!"
"Fine. I guess we'll have to wait till we get home then." He reached over to squeeze the leg of Jason's dark dress pants. "Let's get this guy inside and start the show."
He turned to look in the backseat and Julien was already waving his hands signaling he was ready to get out of the car. "Are you ready to spend some time with Cousin Brad? Are you?"
Julien smiled before he squealed and pulled at the straps of his car seat, his happy sounds quickly turning to something frustrated.
"Come on, Jason Akio, before he explodes back there." Ryan was out of the car a second later, unbuckling their son while Jason was on the other side grabbing the diaper bag.
"It's like he knows fun and adventure await," Jason said with a laugh. He had the strap of the diaper bag over his shoulder as he followed Ryan and Julien up the walkway to the front door. "I'm sure Brad has the whole evening planned out for the two of them. Oh!" he added, right as Ryan knocked. "Make sure Thor doesn't get hair all over you before we go. I don't have a lint roller in the car."
The dog was the least of Ryan's concerns as they heard him bark from the other side of the door. Ryan couldn't help but smile. He loved the big goofy German shepherd. "That's Thor!," he told Julien. "He's waiting to play with you!"
The door opened a second later, and Thor was all tongue and nose as he sniffed their legs. "Thor, let them alone," Brad admonished lightly before a smile sprang across his face. "Oh, Cousin, it's wonderful to see you!" He had his arms around Jason and then Ryan before Julien was in his arms. "Baby Cousin," he cooed at Julien, "don't you just grow so much between our visits."
Julien babbled something back as he reached for Brad's nose.
"Come in, come in, you two," Brad said as he held onto Julien's grabbing fingers. "Surely you have time to sit and talk for a few minutes."
Jason didn't hesitate. They didn't visit Brad enough, and he knew it wouldn't hurt for them to catch up a bit before dinner. "We have a reservation," he reminded Brad as they walked through the foyer to the kitchen, where he left Julien's diaper bag on the counter. "Which is probably a good thing. Ry would just stay and play with Thor all night," he teased. Ryan was behind him, petting and scratching all over the German Shepherd.
"Everything you need is in his bag," Jason added, patting the top of the diaper bag. "I'm sure he'll eat anything you make, though. His appetite doesn't discriminate."
"I've noticed he's become quite the lover of all things made in the kitchen. Let's go sit in the living room for a few minutes." Brad led the way to the next room. There was a loveseat and two chairs. The room was carpeted and Brad set Julien down next to the crate full of toys Ryan and Jason had brought over at one point. "Every time he's over he plays with those toys like they're brand new," Brad said as he took a seat and pointed at Julien, who was pulling colored blocks out of the neon green crate.
Ryan and Jason sat down together on the loveseat. Brad's living room was nothing like the one at their house. His space was much smaller, and dimmer by comparison with only two small windows that looked out onto the front porch. Everything was trimmed in dark wood, showing off the age of the house he shared with Elisa.
"It's because he doesn't see those toys every day, so he forgets about them," Ryan offered as he petted Thor, the big dog planted right next to him.
"He's getting around a little more, too, so don't be surprised if he's pulling up on your couch and legs and anything else he can find and trying to walk," Jason added. "I can't believe he's almost a year old. It feels like the time has flown by. He was just a tiny thing yesterday, it feels like. And now Mike and Chester's twins are the tiny babies at home. Sometimes it doesn't feel real," he told Brad. He tucked his hand in the warm spot right between Ryan's legs, his thumb stroking his husband's thigh absently.
"Aww those little girls," Brad sighed. "If I didn't know better, I would say they look just like Chaz."
"Oddly, they do look like him," Ryan laughed. "I think it's his attitude. It's rubbing off on them."
"Well, when you get ready to plan this one's party, let me know," Brad instructed as he pointed at Julien. "I would love to come over and help." He watched as the couple nodded in agreement. "You both look so dressed up," he noticed for the first time just as something different in Ryan's eyes caught his attention. "You look practically joyful, Ryan. I can see it in those blue windows of yours." Brad sat back in his chair. "Your eyes," he explained. "They're the windows to your soul, and your soul is elated."
Ryan wasn't sure what to say as he and Jason looked at each other. "I am happy," he offered generically. The truth was that he was elated. For the last two days he'd been standing in the sunshine of Chester's attention, something that hadn't happened in years. It was a good feeling, but Ryan hadn't counted on Brad picking up on it. "Guess I'm very excited to spend a night out with your handsome cousin," he said as he found Jason's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"It has been a while since we've been out like this, just the two of us." Jason knew it had been a long time. Ever since moving into the L house, most of their nights were spent with Mike and Chester. "But we're going to be doing it more," he told Brad, looking back at his cousin. "Making some nights out alone a priority," he clarified.
Brad nodded. "It's important to water the garden of your union," he said, linking his fingers together out in front of him. "Otherwise all the beautiful flowers you've planted together will wilt and suffer."
Jason was holding tightly to Ryan's hand as he nodded and agreed. "Nothing is wilting over here," he said with a smile, even though Brad's choice of words was interesting. "How are things here, Cousin?" he asked, looking around. He knew Elisa would be joining Brad later, and that they would see her when they picked up Julien. But it never hurt to check, even when Brad seemed perfectly happy and content.
"Oh they're going well. Elisa will be home in less than an hour. We have big plans for coloring and baking cookies and watching cartoons. We'll go ahead and give Julien his bath, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Ryan said with a gesture to his son. "Your clawfoot tub is so different from ours at home. I know he gets a kick out of it."
Brad smiled wide. "He does love to splash in it." He sat back in his seat, crossing his legs. "Elisa has been hinting to me in my dreams that she's wanting a baby. I think Julien has been a big part of that, and when she saw the twins it pushed her right over the maternal cliff."
"Oh my," Jason said, his thoughts suddenly full of toddlers running about with Brad's giant head of hair attached. "You'd be a wonderful dad," he told Brad. "Just think of how lucky your kids would be. Your visions to keep them safe and your cooking to keep them fed. It's like Julien having his Uncle Chester around. He's lucky because otherwise I'm not sure what he'd grow up eating." He glanced at Ryan before he looked back at Brad. "You said in your dreams... has she said anything about marriage or children at all?" He was suddenly sitting up straighter on the couch, peering at Brad closely.
"We've been talking about marriage," Brad admitted with a small blush on his cheeks. "But nothing is set yet. You two will be the first to know when our stars align." He swept his hand over his head.
"Brad, that's wonderful," Ryan said with a beaming smile. He could feel Jason doing the same. "Please keep us updated. We would love to help with anything you need. Maybe you'd let us take you out for a bachelor party."
"Oh my," Brad almost gasped. "I can't even imagine what that would be like. It would be nice to spend time with you both and the other boys. I miss you all."
Jason was already compiling a list of people to invite for a night out to celebrate Brad. "We'll make it happen," he promised, and Ryan nodded in agreement. "We'll need to find a different babysitter, though," he teased, looking down at Julien. The baby was sitting down now, stacking blocks haphazardly on top of each other. "Speaking of..." he glanced at his watch, "we do have a dinner date," Jason said to Brad. "We'll have a glass of wine in your honor."
"What a lovely gesture," Brad said as he stood up and Ryan and Jason did the same. "I hope you have a wonderful evening."
Goodbyes went quickly as Ryan and Jason hugged Brad, thanked him for babysitting and then they kissed Julien goodbye. The baby started to cry as soon as he realized he wasn't going too. It was the same every time they left him with Brad.
Ryan had Jason's hand and pulled him along to the front door and then out on the porch. "He'll settle down in a few minutes. He always does," he assured his husband as they walked to the SUV. "You know we learned really quickly that hanging around doesn't help."
"I know. It's just so hard to hear him cry," Jason said, looking over his shoulder. "It just breaks my heart."
"I know. He's such a good kiddo. He hardly ever cries." Ryan opened Jason's door for him before rounding the SUV to get in the other side. Once they were both in and had their seat belts buckled, Ryan asked, "Can you imagine Brad having a kid?"
Jason chuckled. "Is it any crazier than imagining you with a kid a year ago?" He glanced over at Ryan before he concentrated on the road. "Sometimes the best things that happen are total surprises. You're an amazing dad, even if it was a huge shock and kids weren't part of our plan. I can't imagine my life without him now. I imagine it will be the same way for Brad and Elisa. Once they have one, we won't remember what it was like before."
He had the car backed out and was comfortably driving again when he reached over to find Ryan's hand. "It's not totally crazy. Brad loves to take care of the people around him. If they end up getting married and having a baby, that baby will be incredibly lucky. Just like Julien."
On the other side of town, Chester was sharing a plate of nachos with Mike. They'd sat down at the Skylight Gardens more than twenty minutes ago. They both had their fruity cocktails and their shared appetizer, but it was almost gone, which meant their main course needed to hurry up.
Chester pulled another chip from the dwindling pile, with stringy cheese and black beans stuck to it. "So how's school going?" he asked as he tried to break the long line of cheese trapping his single chip to the rest. "Tell me again when you're off for the summer? Shouldn't that be soon? And look at this cheese!" He laughed as he pulled his chip to the right and then the left and then up before it finally broke free.
"These nachos are so good," Mike hummed as he placed a jalapeno on his bite. "And I know the semester feels long, we're not even to spring break yet. And then there's another month and finals to go after that. But," he said, pointing his chip at Chester, "I'm not doing any summer classes this year at all. So I'll be home with the girls and not distracted at all. Maybe we can take them on their first trip to Colorado to see my parents. What do you think? They'll be six months in the summer. We could manage them on the plane at six months, right?"
Mike tapped Chester's sock covered foot under the table. He'd laughed the moment they sat down at the table, and Chester had both shoes off, running toes up his leg. Unlike their first date, this time Mike let it happen. "I'm telling you. We need those baby carriers."
"The girls on a plane. I don't know," Chester laughed, though he smiled at the thought. "We'll have to see how their attitudes are by six months old. Cheesy Girl will be jealous she doesn't get to go this time, but three Princesses on a flight to Colorado would be a lot." He picked up his orange-pineapple cocktail and hummed at how good it was. He was already feeling the warmth from the alcohol and he was thinking about getting a second one before the end of the night. "And I'm glad you're not going to be doing summer classes. The girls are going to get mobile real fucking quick and then they'll be even more of a handful to keep track of during the day."
It was a sacrifice Mike had known going in to adopting the girls that he would need to make, and he'd already made peace with the delay in classes extending his graduation date. "I'm actually glad, too. I know they're going to be a handful." He looked down at the nacho platter. There was one left, and he pushed the plate over to Chester. "Here, that one's yours."
Chester pushed the plate back. "Nope, it's all yours, Sexy Boy. I'm waiting on my steak and baked potato to get here." He smiled when Mike enthusiastically gobbled up the last nacho, even scraping the last bit of cheese from the plate. "They're already a handful, but I love them. I can't wait till they get a little bigger like Julien." Chester wrapped both hands around his drink, sipping from the straw that had come with it. "Ry's coming into Score next week for a shoot. It's going to be hella fun. Especially now that I'm on the other side of the camera when he's there."
Mike pulled his drink over and took a sip before he sat back. "So you won't be working together?" he asked, and Chester shook his head no. "What's it like being on the other side?" he asked curiously. "Are you the person who gets to stand there and direct and demand costume changes?" he asked with a grin.
"No. Sadly. I'll hang around Ry's dressing room while he gets ready, but for anyone else, I usually don't see them until the shoot is actually happening. I don't get a ton of input on anything, it's just part of being on the creative team. It's like, making sure what we think looks good on paper and in theory actually turns into something fucking cool in real life." Chester sat back in his seat. "Forrest is the one that will put someone in and out of clothes or send them back to hair and makeup if they don't look right. Or T sometimes will toss in an opinion. T talks with our customers a lot, so she usually has what they're looking for written down. That's what's on her clipboard," Chester said with a bemused smile. "It's a list of what each model is supposed to wear and then the mood of the shoot and the schedule we're all tied to."
It didn't sound all that exciting to Mike, but he didn't say that. He knew Chester loved it. "Well, it's fun you two will get to spend the day together," he decided. "Maybe Talinda will let you have an idea, since Ryan's your boyfriend and not a random model," he said with a smirk before he covered his mouth. "Oh. I bet you didn't tell her, did you?"
"Please," Chester said with a snort and wave of his hand. "Of course we told her."
"And?" Mike asked, his eyes widening. He knew he shouldn't be surprised at Chester freely sharing intimate information with Talinda, but it had only been two days. Only one work day. And Talinda was already in the loop that his husband had a boyfriend. "What did she say? She thinks we're all crazy, doesn't she?"
"Naw. She thought it was cute." Chester rolled his eyes. "She already knew about all the sex, so making a legitimate boyfriend out of Ry didn't phase her."
"Well, that's good. I guess anyone who spends any time around us isn't surprised." Mike finished off his drink and looked around the restaurant. "I'm glad we decided to come back here," he said, switching the subject. "I'm totally ready to kick your ass at pool," he added, grinning at his husband. "I can't believe we haven't been back since that night. Unless that's why. You hate losing to me at pool."
"I hate to lose, period," Chester confirmed, just as the waitress showed up at their table. She set Chester's steak and baked potato in front of him, and then Mike's steak and potato wedges, before she asked if they needed anything else. "No, this looks kick ass. Thank you," Chester offered with a smile, and she smiled back at him before promising to be back to check on them in a little bit.
Chester stared down at his steak that was still sizzling a little and the baked potato that was split open with cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream dabbed on top. "Man. I'm so ready for this," he said, before his mouth dropped open. "I forgot to ask for ketchup!" He twisted around, and spotted their waitress. He waved at her, and she was back at their table in a split second. "I forgot to ask for ketchup, if you have some, please."
"You bet we do. I'll be right back," she assured him before disappearing in a hurry.
"That was a close one," Chester sighed in relief as he picked up his fork to poke at his potato instead. "I can't eat steak without ketchup. That would be wrong."
It was a quirk Mike still didn't understand. He loved tasting his steak, and in his opinion, the ketchup overpowered the meat. But he only smiled, and when Chester got his ketchup, he stopped to make sure there was enough. He had cheese sauce for his potato wedges, and was only briefly concerned that maybe he was eating too much cheese in one meal.
He waited for Chester to get a bite and cocked his head to the side. "This is really nice," he said, giving his husband a smile. "I don't think I realized how much we pay attention to the girls during meal times. It's nice for it to just be us for a little while. Even though I keep thinking about them. But I think that's normal," he decided as he sliced a bite of his steak. "All parents do that. Worry when they leave for the first time."
"We do pay attention to them a lot," Chester said between bites. "And to Julien. And Ry and Jay. And Cheesy Girl. We live with a bunch of needy-ass people, Mike." Chester shot his husband a smile. "But yeah, it's nice for us to get to go out and be alone. Feels like this is the first time in...I don't even know how long. Months."
"Well, it won't be months until the next one," Mike promised. "I think it's good we've carved out time for just us among the family time. I think you and I have another solo date in three weeks," he said, thinking about Jason's spreadsheet. "Or is it a month? I know you and Ryan are going out next... I can't remember if it's back to me and you alone, or if it's all four of us after that. I know Jay came up with some system." He watched Chester's face carefully as he spoke, knowing that any time he brought up Jason could go sideways, quickly.
Chester shrugged. "I'm not sure. I saw a bunch of red squares all over it and it made me feel busy." He dunked a piece of steak in his ketchup. "But I agree. We needed a plan for spending alone time together because we weren't getting much of it. I'll be looking forward to our next scheduled date in a month."
"We can take turns planning," Mike said enthusiastically. "It will be fun. A surprise every other time we go out." He thought it sounded great, and was very much looking forward to what Chester could plan later. "You know what we're doing after we play pool?" he asked, wondering if Chester would remember their first date, and what they'd done after the game.
Chester looked up from his food at the excitement in Mike's voice. It was nice to see his husband like that. It felt like it had been a long time. "Let me think," Chester said sheepishly as he scooped a bite of potato onto his fork. "Seems like we went for ice cream last time we did this. If you want to do that, we can. I'm up for anything."
"We did!" Mike was beaming as soon as Chester mentioned ice cream. "I thought we'd do the whole thing, you know? Walk around with ice cream cones and remember what it was like when we barely knew each other." He reached across the table for Chester's hand. "And this time, you don't have to walk me to the door and leave me. I'll let you come all the way to the bedroom," he teased with a lifted eyebrow. "Think you'll get lucky this time?"
"I hope so," Chester said as he thought about the last few days. They hadn't had sex since the botched attempt on Sunday night. He had no desire to ever repeat that experience. "You're right, we didn't know each other last time. It was all new and exciting and I was on the thrill of the hunt," he laughed. "Now we're married with a mortgage and kids and boyfriends on the side."
Mike laughed, too, though the summary of where they were now in life paused his thoughts. He was a completely different person than he'd been on that first date. Back then he didn't think of himself as prudish. He'd been in relationships and he'd had some sexual experiences - but it was nothing compared to his life now. It was still a struggle sometimes to accept that he was both married and had a boyfriend on the side, but Mike didn't want it any other way. And he desperately hoped Chester didn't either. "Who would have thought?" he mused, squeezing Chester's hand before he let it go. "It's been a winding path, for sure."
"I definitely didn't think my life would end up like it is. I'm glad YRS is over. That was the main focus of my life when you met me." Chester stopped, his thoughts circling back to five years ago. "I should have told you on that first date. The last time we sat at this table, I should have just told you the truth."
"Maybe," Mike said slowly as he sat down his fork for a moment. "But I think you did the right thing. I might not have given you a chance if you'd been upfront about it. That would have been terrible, you know? To not even give you a chance without knowing anything about you. We wouldn't be sitting here now. And I don't want to imagine my life without you, Ches." He waited for Chester's eyes to meet his. "I mean that. I want this, you, our marriage, the mortgage and the kids. I always wanted this. The boyfriends are just a bonus."
Chester nodded with a smile. "They are just a bonus. I'm glad to hear you say that because if it doesn't work out, they gotta go." He took his last sip of his drink before he picked up his water to tide him over until their waitress came back around. "And you know I never saw any of this in my future, the marriage, or kids...maybe owning a house one day," he decided pensively. "Or a cool condo like the loft. Probably not a whole house."
"It's pretty great we have a whole house," Mike said. He loved their house, and he knew Chester did, too. "I know you work really hard for it."
"It's a kick ass house. I feel spoiled every time I think about it, even though we're paying for it." Chester sliced off another piece of his steak. "And I love being so close to work. That makes such a massive difference in my day, especially now with the girls."
Mike dragged a potato wedge through his cheese sauce. "I love it when you get to come home for lunch. I know it doesn't happen often, but it's always a welcome surprise. Sometimes my days feel kinda monotonous. You know? Feeding, cleaning, studying, repeat. It's nice when you change that up for me. I need to start taking them out for walks. It makes me nervous trying to set all of that up on my own, but they need the sunshine."
"You should start going out when Ry and Jay take Julien. When you were in Seattle, me and Ry took all three kids to the park. It was fun." Chester smiled at the memory. "And I wish I could be home more, but that's kinda hard with my job. At least you're not home alone."
"Thank goodness. Ryan has it down. He's a huge help. And I enjoy talking to him, too." Mike was grateful for the company during the day, and Ryan was a step ahead of him in the world of parenting. Any time he felt stuck, he knew Ryan would help him out. It was a comfort and a security blanket. "Maybe I'll try taking them out next time they go. Maybe."
"Ry's an amazing human being. I'm glad you two have become friends," Chester said between bites. "He's so much fun. And the girls will probably pass out on you, but the fresh air is still good for them."
Their food was almost gone and Chester was ready to pay the bill and move on to pool. "So how many games do you want to play? Best of three?"
Mike's smile returned instantly. "Afraid you'll lose the first one, huh? Best two out of three it is." He ate his last potato wedge and folded his napkin over his plate. "And then I'll make it up to you by holding your hand and showing you constellations while we eat ice cream."
Chester cocked his eyebrow. That was one more thing from the early days of their relationship, holding hands and looking at the sky - at clouds and constellations. "You're being awfully nostalgic tonight."
"I guess I am," Mike said, his voice a little bit pensive. "I guess some of that's just because of the last few weeks, things being kind of mixed up and stuff, and us arguing about things... maybe I'm just thinking about when it all seemed easier. You know?"
Chester sat back in his seat as he studied Mike's face and the way he was staring down at his mostly empty drink. "The last few weeks have been very hard," he agreed. "There's been a lot of fighting and hurt feelings between us. Maybe it was easier before because we weren't stepping outside of our relationship to be with other people. It's much easier to navigate two people than four."
Mike looked up sharply. They were right back where they always seemed to be - on the cusp of their lives going back to just the two of them, without Jason and Ryan. He was tired of the emotional whiplash and the back and forth of it all, especially when he'd seen how Chester and Ryan both were acting at home the past few days. "Maybe that's some of it," he conceded carefully, "but I think it's just my idealism getting in the way. That first date I was just naive. And I get nostalgic sometimes for that naivety. But trust me, it's long gone. Maybe it's not Jason and Ryan being involved, but it's more that I romanticize the past. Maybe I just need to stop looking backwards."
"Looking backwards does zero good. You know what I learned in therapy? If you're depressed, it means you're living in the past. That's how I was when I first started going," Chester admitted, his hand over his heart. "I couldn't get away from the past." He let out a slow breath. "Maybe you romanticize it, and yeah, it's a great memory, but I gotta say, that whole first three months for me was stressful. I was living a lie, of course, and I know that's why."
Chester rolled his lips together. He'd just made the point about not living in the past, so bringing up more about it seemed counterproductive. "My therapist says I need to live more in the present moment. I gotta roll with the punches, because living in the moment is where you find peace. She says people who live in the future are the ones with anxiety." He flipped his hand towards Mike. "Always worrying about what hasn't happened yet."
Mike didn't quite know what to do with that information. He was talking about romanticizing the past, but he had a therapist that had diagnosed him with anxiety. By Chester's therapist's definition, he was worrying about the future. But he'd always thought his anxieties were rooted in childhood trauma. Deep in that feeling of never being good enough, of worrying about what other people thought. He wasn't sure if that all added up, and he wasn't trying to decide if Dr. Digby or Chester's therapist was the one who was correct.
"Well, whatever the case is, sometimes it has to be okay to be nostalgic, right?" Mike asked. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to have our first date again. Maybe it's so you can enjoy it this time, since you're not living a lie now. And I'm not worrying about you hating me if I won't put out on the first date." He smiled softly as he pushed his hair away from his eyes. "We can just enjoy the moment this time."
While Mike and Chester were reliving their first date, Ryan was enjoying the fine dining experience of the French restaurant Jason had picked out. There was live music - a mix of violins, flutes, and piano. It made the atmosphere a mix of inviting and worrying over spilling something on the expensive white tablecloth.
So far, Ryan was holding his own. But even more than that, he was enjoying watching Jason enjoying the moment. He loved to see his husband smile, and there had been plenty of occasions for it already tonight.
"This place reminds me of that really nice restaurant we went to in New Orleans a few years ago. Do you remember? Chazzy tripped over the dessert cart and the live music completely stopped?" Ryan asked, a grin across his face.
Jason couldn't help the instant laugh and he covered his mouth as he looked around to make sure he hadn't been too loud. "I do," he whispered loudly in an attempt to make up for how loud he'd laughed. "That whole night was a comical mess," he decided, leaning close to his husband. "You looked just as sexy as you look right now, and you were so, so off limits. I remember when they brought out beignets, and you'd never had one, and you and Chaz ended up accidentally breathing powdered sugar all over each other." Jason actually slumped against Ryan's bicep as he laughed. "You two were a total mess. And I wanted to lick all that powdered sugar off your face."
The memory was clear in Ryan's mind, too. He and Chester didn't grow up going to such fancy places, and what little experience they had, usually stemmed from YRS trips. Sometimes, Mark would decide they all needed some culture and he'd round up the boys and taxi everyone to a place where nicer clothes were needed and table manners were expected. Ryan was never sure if those out-of-the-blue expensive dalliances were because Mark was capable of having a kind heart, or because Mark liked to remind everyone where he was on the social pecking scale, and where everyone else was not. Like a power move, Ryan thought. It was probably just to silently remind us who the boss was. None of us could ever afford to go to any of those places on our own.
"I remember," he told Jason, though he knew his comment was belated. "It was a mess. We went back to our hotel room and we did nothing but find little sugar crystals all over us all night. I think Chazzy even found some in his pants!" Ryan laughed. "But he was probably exaggerating the way he does." He sighed before he caught the glint of amusement in Jason's eyes. "I wasn't the only one off limits that night," he recalled. "You were decked out to the nines. I remember. You had on a pale orange dress shirt. It reminded me of fruit, and I remember I kept thinking how sweet you would taste and how delicious it would have been to strip that shirt off of you."
Jason's face screwed up in thought. "I remember that shirt. I don't even have that shirt anymore," he mused. "But you're right. It was almost like the color of the inside of a peach. Or a really ripe cantaloupe." He swirled the red wine he'd picked - a bordeaux that could only be ordered at the French restaurant - and his smile drifted to something more bittersweet. "I'm sure you and Chaz had a much more fun night than I did at that hotel."
Ryan immediately reached for Jason's hand. When it came to the past and especially Mark, Ryan was always careful to let Jason lead the way. He knew sometimes his husband felt the need to open up doors and let Ryan into the bad things. And sometimes those doors were locked tight. Only Jason had the key, and Ryan would never break the door down or pick the lock.
"We did have a good night," he said softly. "I'm sorry yours wasn't. Do you want to talk about it?"
Ryan's soft words and even softer touch always melted Jason's heart. It was one aspect of their relationship that Jason appreciated immensely. He sighed. "No, there's no need." He knew that Ryan knew exactly how those nights could go, and dwelling on it now would spoil their evening together. "Just thinking it's too bad about the shirt. If it had made it, I'd let you fulfill the fantasy." He smiled then, as Ryan squeezed his hand. "You'll just have to make do with taking this one off later."
Ryan smiled. "I can do that. You know undressing you is one of my favorite pastimes." He pulled Jason's hand up to kiss it. "Tonight will end a million times better. I pinky swear it." He shifted their hands to link only their pinky fingers.
"One button at a time," Jason added in a low voice as he pulled Ryan's hand closer and kissed his pinky.
"You know it," Ryan laughed as he kissed their union before they let each other go. The vibe between them felt back on track, and Ryan was relieved. He would never deny letting Jason air grievances against Mark, but he also knew how destructive it was to Jason's mood. After the last week, Ryan wanted them to have a good evening together.
Ryan picked up his wine. He'd only been sipping at it so far. "What do you want to do after dinner? I know Mike and Chaz will be out late. We can have the house to ourselves later. Well. If you don't count all the kids."
The idea of being the first ones home with Talinda and Rob still in the house sounded unappealing, but Jason didn't say that. Instead he thought hard for a second and suddenly blurted out, "darts."
Ryan's face twisted. "You want to go play darts? Like at a bar?" He asked, his voice already flipping to something excited. Bar activities usually weren't on Jason's to-do list.
"Yeah," Jason said nonchalantly, as though they played darts every day. "Let's go to some dark bar, roll up our sleeves, and play darts. I'll let you stand behind me and distract me," he said with a laugh, "and you can order me a beer. I know wine isn't your favorite, so let's go do something else. Everyone will be looking at us, wondering if we're lost." He could imagine the looks they'd get, dressed the way they were, throwing darts and sneaking in a squeeze or a grab or a kiss on occasion.
Ryan almost couldn't believe it. Jason wanting to go hang out at a bar was unheard of. "You're singing my song, Jason Akio. If you really want to go, I'm game."
"You're looking at me like I've lost my mind," Jason said with a short laugh. "It will be fun. I am completely terrible at darts, but maybe I'll get lucky. You can help me get better." He raised an eyebrow suggestively, waiting for Ryan to take the bait.
Ryan moved his wine to the side. He wanted to save room for the beer Jason had mentioned. "I haven't played darts in...years." He smiled. "But I can still show you some of my old moves."
"I bet you can." Jason sat back, wine glass in hand, excited about doing something unexpected. "Just keeping you on your toes, baby," he said with a bit of a smirk and a tease. He didn't care if he could win even a single game. It was fun to see his husband ready to take him out, buy him a beer, and play some darts.
****
It was late by the time Chester pulled his little red sports car into the garage. After dinner, pool, and ice cream, he and Mike were ready to wind up their evening in bed, and Chester was ready. The garage door closed behind them as he got out and Mike met him before they headed inside together. "Cheesy Girl," Chester chirped as the terrier met them right at the door, wagging her tail and her whole body around their feet. Chester scooped her up and showered kisses on her face. "Did you miss us? Have been helping T babysit? Have you?" he asked her as the three of them headed for the living room.
Talinda and Rob were sitting on the couch, empty coffee cups in front of them. She had her heels off, and her legs stretched out across Rob's lap when she heard the garage door open. "That should be Chester and Mike," she said, smiling at Rob as she playfully picked at the collar of his blue and tan shirt. "And I was right," she laughed when she heard Chester's distinct not-so-quiet voice coming down the hallway a minute later.
Chester led the way into the living room, and he and Mike sat down on the opposite couch. Cheese stayed right in his lap. "We're home," he announced with a goofy smile. "I don't see any screaming babies, so I'm guessing the Princesses did okay."
Talinda yawned before she swung her legs off Rob's lap so she could sit up properly. "They were angels for the most part," she assured him, and she smiled as she watched Cheese sit up nice and proper on Chester's lap. "That dog. I swear. If she could talk she would announce that you belong to her."
"Cheesy Girl knows she's well-taken care of, that's all," Chester denied as he pet over her silky hair. "So, how was everything? Was it weird being here without us?"
"Not at all. But I've spent a lot of time in this house," Talinda reminded him. "We ordered dinner in, and the girls were up for quite a while, which was nice. We got to read them stories and play with them a bit." Talinda looked over at Rob and he nodded. Even though the evening hadn't been awful with screaming babies or toxic diapers - like stories she'd heard off and on from Chester - it had been exhausting to be on baby duty for the last few hours. She was quietly relieved that Chester and Mike were finally home.
Mike was close to Chester, and he reached out to give Cheese a few scratches as he listened. "Thanks for staying with them," he said to both Talinda and Rob. "We had a great night out, but we ended up talking about the girls a lot," he admitted with a smile. "It was our first time to really be away from them, so we're glad it went well."
"We are too," Talinda agreed with a yawn. "I'm not sure how you two do this twenty-four seven," she admitted as she pointed toward the hallway that led to the nursery. "I've been over to see them a lot, but only in small bursts since they've been a little bigger. When one gets going, the other is right behind her."
"They're copycats like that," Chester teased as he sat back on the couch with a sigh. Being out was fun, but it was nice to be home, too. "Thanks for giving up your evening for us. We really appreciate it."
Rob nodded and offered, "it was fun. Tiring, but fun." His arm was around Talinda's shoulders and he tapped her lightly. "Are you ready to head home, or did you want to go tell the girls goodnight again first?" he asked. Over the course of the evening he'd felt surprisingly comfortable, not only watching his girlfriend's daughters, but being in his ex-boyfriend's house. But he didn't want to push his luck - he preferred to be gone before Ryan came home with his husband.
Talinda sat forward, squeezing Rob's knee in the process as she stood up. "Maybe let's go whisper goodnight to them, and then we can head on out." She smiled at Rob as he stood up. "We'll be quiet," she promised Mike and Chester. "I'm sure you two want a little time alone before they're wound up again."
Chester was layed back on the couch, warm and comfortable with Cheese on his lap and Mike snuggled next to him. He flipped his hand through the air. "By all means, go tell the Princesses goodnight," he offered with a smile. "They love being spoiled even in their sleep."
Mike watched as Rob held out his hand to help Talinda off the couch, and the couple disappeared down the hallway. "Maybe we'll get lucky," he decided, leaning his head against Chester's shoulder. "Maybe they'll stay asleep a little while longer and we can go finish off our second first date right," he whispered. He was in a good mood. The night had been fun and despite the moments of nostalgia, Mike felt content now.
"Oh yeah?" Chester said with a smile already slipping across his face. "And what's your version of finishing off our second first date right?" He turned his head enough to get his lips into Mike's dark hair, inhaling the scent of his coconut shampoo from earlier in the evening. They'd both showered before going out, which was a calculated move to have more time to indulge in each other once they were home.
Mike left Cheese alone and grabbed onto Chester's thigh instead, squeezing it gently. "You know... getting naked and having some adult time." He grinned as he tried to look at Chester's face. They hadn't had time for more than a few kisses here and there all week, and Mike preferred to think it was time and not lack of desire from the last time they'd had sex, when he came home from Seattle. He didn't want to think about that, or give it any weight when it came to the two of them hardly touching each other since Sunday.
"I do love adult time," Chester said. It had been a hard week between them, first with the traumatic events of Sunday, then putting the household sharing on a break, then going to their first marriage counseling session, and then getting boyfriends on top of that. It had been a lot for a stretch of only six days, and sex hadn't been on Chester's mind through most of it. He could only hope tonight would go better than last time, and that sent a funny feeling through his stomach as he shifted a little. He loved Mike, and he loved making love to Mike, but he could feel that new barriers and walls had sprung up, and he wasn't totally sure how to navigate it all just yet. "Hopefully we won't have to rush anything," he added as he put his hand on top of Mike's and gave it a soft squeeze.
"It's always best when he don't have to rush," Mike agreed, with a silent wish that the girls would stay asleep. "Come on, let's let Cheese out so when Talinda and Rob leave, we're ready to go." He saw Cheese's little triangle ears shift his way as soon as he said her name. "Right, Cheese? Come on, let's go outside!" He scooped her up off Chester's lap and set her on the floor, where she promptly ran to the back door.
Chester stayed where he was, watching as Mike walked to the patio doors, and slid them open for the terrier to go out. It was good timing, because Rob and Talinda were back in the living room a minute later. "Well, are they still asleep or did you play the drums back there and wake them up just to be evil?" He made a face up at Talinda.
She promptly rolled her eyes as Rob went to grab her purse that was sitting on the dining room table. "No one was playing drums," she said before leaning down to shove Chester on his shoulder. "And they're still perfectly asleep like little angels."
That was perfect. "Thanks again," Mike said, giving Talinda and Rob both a little wave as he kept an eye on the backyard. Cheese was taking her sweet time smelling along the grass and bushes, and Mike looked back to see Chester hugging Talinda before he walked her and Rob to the front door. By the time Cheese was ready to come back inside, they were gone, and Chester was walking back into the living room. "Looks like we're all set," he said, reaching out for Chester's hand so he could pull him close. "Everyone is taken care of and happy. Let's go take advantage of how quiet the house is for once." He wanted to disappear before Ryan and Jason got home - otherwise, he knew Chester and Ryan would end up talking about their respective evenings.
Nervous excitement skipped across Chester's stomach as he wrapped his arms around Mike's neck and leaned in for a kiss. His eyes fell closed as their lips met and then their tongues, slowly. Tentatively.
They both knew and recognized that tonight was important. After how poorly Sunday had gone, reuniting sexually felt like a big deal and the only way to get them on the right track to move forward. Chester felt Mike's arms wrap around his waist. It was a familiar feeling - a sensation he loved - and it was encouraging.
Their kiss broke, and Chester pulled back enough to see the hint of need in his husband's eyes. "I'm ready if you are," he said, trailing his hands over Mike's shoulders, then down his chest, stopping to swirl both hands over Mike's hidden nipples, and then to the top of his jeans. Chester gave those a tug. "I'll let you throw me on the bed and have your way with me," he teased before he turned around and headed for their room, swinging his hips as he went.
Mike's eyes went right to Chester's small ass and he hurried along behind his husband. Even though he'd been thinking of things the other way around, thoughts of throwing Chester to the bed sounded appealing, too. But there was a big part of him that wanted to make up for last Sunday. He never says no to being on top. Even if he hinted otherwise. We'll see. He flipped off the kitchen light as he passed by. Ready or not, here I come.
****
TBC