157 A Hickey

The moment the door closed, Jake's smug smile vanished, and a cold light replaced the greed in his eye. He put down his foot and straightened his back, sitting more comfortably. Misha was still behind him, hugging him like a mama bear, and his head thus leaned a bit more into his chest. The teenager didn't complain, and Jake didn't point it out, letting Misha's warmth envelop him. He wouldn't say it aloud, but he needed it right now. Whenever he talked with his mother, it brought back memories he'd rather forget, agitating him more than he wanted to admit. Unfortunately, his old heart wasn't made of stone, and it'd clench in pain from time to time.

"Honestly," Stephan chuckled, bringing back Jake to the present, "it's amazing how you and Gabriel can switch between your personas and real personalities in a snap. It's like a magic trick."

"I have to second that," Misha sighed. "It makes me doubt my eyes and ears every time."

"Right?" Stephan winked, sitting in the chair before Jake. "So, how did it go?"

"Rather well, I'd say."

"But?"

Jake answered with silence. He stared at Stephan, then snorted. Angela's request popped into his mind whenever his eye landed on him, and Jake was almost angered into laughing. He had nothing against same-gender relationships, but it didn't mean he was ok with being bedded by a man. Thanks to his mother, he was quite dispassionate about sex. Still, the idea of getting his ass pounded didn't settle well with him; if anything, he'd rather be on top, but that wasn't what Angela was expecting of him.

"Why are you giving me the death glare?" Stephan half-laughed, half-cried. "I'm fairly sure I haven't done anything to anger you today."

If looks could kill, Stephan had a hunch he'd be dead by now. It made him silently shed a few tears; he truly hadn't done anything—yet—to anger Jake! So, why was he shooting daggers at him?!

"Does it have something to do with the conversation you just had with Angela?" Gabriel asked, ignoring Stephan's antics. He appeared on the verge of committing murder, startling Misha into holding his breath. "What did she ask of you this time?"

"Just the usual."

Gabriel's eyes seemed to darken, the green of his irises growing deeper. After reading the diaries, he found out about Angela using Jake to strike a few deals, and he knew what the "usual" referred to.

Before, he thought that his brother was simply the sort of wicked man who would use whatever method he could to get what he wanted, including sleeping with clients. Gabriel had never once imagined that he could have been acting under his mother's order.

Should he be grateful she had waited until he was of age before sending him to "entertain" their guests…? Like hell he was! It happened under his eyes, yet he didn't even notice it. Just how much of an idiot was he? He had been too self-confident, unable to see through Jake's facade. He had deemed him a jerk and never gave him the time of the day. There must have been signs, but he ignored them, refusing to see Jake as something other than an imbecile. However, the idiot had been him, not his brother.

Gabriel had always thought of himself as a rational man, but the more he learned about Jake's past, the harder it was to keep his emotions under control. Sometimes, he wondered if he shouldn't just kill Angela in the most painful way he knew. Now, sending her to jail seemed like a show of mercy. What if Angela rotted away in prison? She would never suffer just as much as Jake had, and that was giving him nightmares.

"The usual?" Stephan said, snapping Gabriel out of his thoughts. "With me?"

"Who else? Thanks to you sticking to me like a leech, she has decided to use me to hold you down," Jake spat out. "But well, I'll be able to use you as an excuse to refuse a few things for a while, so all is good in the end."

"What are the three of you talking about?" Misha asked, puzzled. "I don't follow at all!"

"It's nothing very important," Jake smiled. "Don't worry."

"Dude, I'm dense but not stupid. That's clearly a white lie!"

"…."

"Let's just say that I'm gonna be even more clingy now," Stephan winked, and a drawn-out sigh escaped Jake's lips. "What? She wants you to sleep with me, doesn't she? I swear this woman is twisted down to the core. Anyway, we just have to make her believe you're doing as told, and voilà!"

"And here I thought you'd take the opportunity to bed me for real. You won't have that many chances to, you know?"

"I'll admit wanting to sleep with you, but not under coercion. If you're not willing, then no thank you."

"So, you do have some common sense in the end."

"Oh, please! I don't screw around with people who aren't up to it, never. And, honestly, why the heck would I drag you to bed and risk losing what I really want with you? A mere moment of pleasure is not what I seek! I told you I'm serious about you, didn't I?"

"Really? I thought—" Jake was interrupted mid-sentence by a cough, and his whole body seemed to stiffen. He awkwardly cleared his throat before glancing at Gabriel and apologizing, "Sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away."

"Yes, I know," Gabriel smiled, tilting his head toward Stephan. "It's that idiot's fault."

To this, Stephan shrugged his shoulders, but the pouty look on his face seemed to ask: "How is it my fault that Jake got caught up in my pace? I'm perfectly innocent here!"

Misha had to stifle a laugh, whereas Gabriel shook his head slightly, a little exasperated. But deep down, he also felt a little jealous; Jake only opened up like this to Stephan, saying whatever was on his mind without hesitation. Yes, his brother would get caught up in his pace, but he'd also speak freely. Gabriel couldn't help but hope that one day, Jake would feel enough at ease to do the same with him.

.

.

"Stay over tonight," Jake said to Stephan as he was about to leave with Gabriel and Misha. "The sooner we start to mislead Angela, the better."

"Alright," Stephan smiled, waving at Gabriel and Misha before closing the door. "I refuse to sleep on the floor, though."

"Fine. I will sleep on the floor."

"Can you read between the lines? Your bed is big enough for two adult men to share it! Stop behind a drama queen, will you?"

"…."

"Don't give me that look! I won't jump on you, so stop worrying and get on the side. It's late, and I have to wake up early tomorrow."

Jake eyed the man a while longer before scurrying to the left side of the bed. Meanwhile, Stephan changed into the pajamas that Jake had kindly lent to him, though he only put on the pants. He then casually braided his hair, which he had left untied today; the long silvery braid fell on his back, the tip almost reaching his hips.

"You know," Stephan chuckled as he climbed on the bed, slipping underneath the blanket, "we can put a pillow barrier between us if sleeping with me stresses you too much."

"Since when have you been so accommodating? You would usually cling to me like an octopus and refuse to let go."

"Hm, since today?"

A half-scoff, half-laugh escaped Jake's lips, and silence filled the room for a short instant. Then, Jake rolled over on his side and looked into Stephan's heterochromatic eyes. The man had been staring at his back, almost purring like a contented cat.

'He looks a little too pleased with the current situation,' Jake thought, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But, really, Stephan was always the same, never changing. The sky could be crashing down, and he'd laugh it off. No matter what Jake said or did, Stephan would accept it with a smile. Whether it was a good thing or not, Jake couldn't tell. But he at least knew the man was wearing down his defense little by little; still, he did nothing to prevent it.

"Put a hickey here," Jake finally said, pointing to his neck. "A big, purple one."

"Only one?"

"Only one."

Stephan chuckled lightly, then crawled closer. He tilted his head, and his lips brushed against Jake's skin. The next instant, a butterfly kiss—so brief Jake thought he had imagined it—was placed upon his neck, near his Adam's apple. After that, Stephan gently sucked and pulled on his skin. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to leave a mark behind.

Seconds passed by, then Stephan let go and lifted his head to peek at his work of art. Though only a few rays of moonlight passed through the window, it was enough. The hickey stood out on Jake's pale skin, drawing the eye.

"Here, all done!" Stephan smiled as he let his head fall on his pillow. "Good night now."

"Yeah, good night."

Jake closed his eye, the warmth left by Stephan's lips lingering on his neck. It felt strangely pleasant—reassuring, even. 'Maybe playing pretend with Stephan won't be so bad, after all.' The fleeting thought crossed his mind as Jake fell asleep, lulled by Stephan's regular breathing. For once, his night wasn't plagued by nightmares.

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Edited by Clozed!! ♥

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