CHAPTER 15
Adam ordered pizza, because there wasn’t anything edible in the kitchen. He’d barely been there since Harry’s disappearance, preferring to order a take-out and eat in the living room. Seeing his kitchen empty—seeing all the unnecessary little gadgets Harry had insisted on buying—had made him miserably angry. So he’d avoided the kitchen like the plague.
But now Harry was back.
Harry was back.
Adam could barely take his eyes off him as they ate their pizzas. He had to keep reminding himself that Harry wasn’t as innocent and genuine as he appeared, that he shouldn’t forgive him so easily. But he couldn’t stop staring, hungry for the sight of him.
Their eyes met across the table, and Harry smiled at him, his cheekbones turning a little pink. Adam wanted to kiss them, then lick his way into that pink mouth until Harry was trembling again and making those little noises of his.
“Mmm, this is the best thing I’ve eaten here! How come you haven’t told me about pizza?” Seyn said before taking another bite of pizza and moaning appreciatively.
Harry’s nose wrinkled up. “Because I’ve seen people on the TV say it’s unhealthy to eat it.”
Adam watched them with bemusement. He had thought Harry’s odd obliviousness about so many obvious things was just a quirk of his, but his friend seemed to share it. Seyn was as weird as Harry.
And just like Harry, he seemed like a character that had escaped from a Disney fairytale. He was ethereally beautiful with unnaturally white skin, long silver hair, and deep green eyes. He looked like a freaking prince. There was also something… off about his looks. It wasn’t the hair color; Seyn wasn’t the first bloke Adam had seen who dyed his hair into strange colors. No, it was something else. Some quality that Harry had too.
“So how long are you staying here?” Adam said, glancing at Seyn.
Seyn paused mid-chew. He exchanged a long look with Harry. It almost seemed as though they were communicating without speaking. They must have been really close.
“I hope it’s okay for me to stay with you guys until I find a job,” Seyn said and took a sip of tea.
Adam suppressed a snort. It would be impossible for him to answer negatively without looking like a dick. This guy wasn’t as socially clueless as Harry tended to be.
“You’ll have to share with Harry,” Adam said. “There’s no spare room. Unless you want to sleep on the couch.”
“He can take my room,” Harry said, glancing at Adam from under his eyelashes. “I can share with you.”
Adam wet his lips and gave a clipped nod.
Harry dropped his gaze again.
In the meantime, Seyn choked on his tea and started coughing, his eyes wide as saucers. “You’re going to share a bed with Adam?” he said, looking at Harry like he’d grown a second head.
Harry eyed his pizza like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “I’d rather share a bed with Adam than with you. You don’t even know how to cuddle.”
Seyn stared at him with a vaguely scandalized look. Adam would have laughed if he weren’t busy trying not to show how much the mere idea of Harry sleeping in his bed affected him. Sleeping. Right.
“Okay,” Seyn said, giving Harry the “we’ll talk later” look.
“So how long have you known each other?” Adam said, taking pity on Harry, who looked like he was about to burst into flames. It shouldn’t have been so endearing. Christ, it was fucking impossible to stay angry with that face.
“Pretty much forever,” Seyn said, making Adam flinch and tear his eyes away from Harry.
When he looked back at Seyn, he found him studying him curiously.
Right. He had asked Seyn a question.
“Really?” Adam said, after clearing his throat.
“Our parents are old friends and his older brother is my fiancé, so we were kind of forced to socialize,” Seyn said. He grinned. “If we weren’t, I wouldn’t have been friends with such a naive cupcake. I’m surprised he didn’t get himself killed while he was all on his own here.”
“I’m not that hopeless,” Harry said with a pout. “Stop exaggerating.”
“Wait,” Adam said. “Seyn is engaged to your brother? You told me I was the first gay person you’d ever met.”
Harry’s eyes widened. He exchanged a panicked look with Seyn.
“I’m not gay,” Seyn said. “I’m—I’m—bisexual—”
“Demisexual!” Harry said at the same time.
They glared at each other.
Adam smiled without mirth. “You should have made an effort to coordinate your stories.”
Harry dropped his face into his hands and groaned. “I didn’t lie to you,” he mumbled into his hands. “You really are the first homosexual person I’ve ever met. Seyn’s sexuality is... complicated.” He peeked at Adam through his fingers. “You’re angry at me, aren’t you?”
He should have been. But despite Harry’s blatant lies, they didn’t seem malicious—or perhaps Adam was a terrible judge of character.
“Of course I’m angry,” Adam said. He was, but mostly at himself for not being angry enough. He might not be as angry at Harry as Harry’s constant lying deserved, but it didn’t mean it was okay. Because it wasn’t okay. Part of him couldn’t believe he was ready to forgive Harry so easily. If it were anyone else, he would have told them to fuck off. He wouldn’t have even let them into his flat.
Harry’s face fell.
“Oh for the love of— He doesn’t hate you, Harry!” Seyn said, getting to his feet with an exasperated huff. “I don’t get why you get so stupid around this—man.” He fake yawned. “Anyway, I’m tired. Show me your room?” he said, shooting Harry a meaningful look.
Harry didn’t even glance at him, his eyes still on Adam. “You really don’t hate me?”
“Harry,” Seyn said impatiently.
“I don’t,” Adam said and sighed. “Go. Show him your room, babe.”
Harry’s face lit up. “I’m still your babe?”
Adam smiled, remembering Harry’s adamant insistence on being his only babe, whatever that meant. “If you want to be.”
Harry was out of his chair and on his lap in an instant. “I want to,” he murmured into Adam’s ear, his body pressing tightly against Adam’s. “Want to be your babe. Always.”
Adam felt his body stiffen in response. He pulled Harry tighter to him and mouthed the soft skin under his ear, breathing him in. Fuck, he couldn’t be angry with him.
Harry let out a happy sigh. “I missed this so much,” he said, his voice raw with honesty. “Your arms around me. You.”
“Yeah,” Adam murmured. Fucking hell, had he missed him. Harry’s scent, the way he fit against Adam’s body, the heady mix of desire and adoration that filled his body whenever they touched: he’d missed all of that.
Harry buried his fingers in Adam’s hair, pushing Adam’s mouth closer to his neck, his breathing coming in short gasps. Adam sank his teeth into Harry’s skin, sucking gently. Harry gasped and tilted his head to the side, giving him better access, his fingers roaming up and down Adam’s biceps as Adam covered his neck in marks. Harry. His baby, his angel, his favorite human being, his pretty boy—
A choked sound made Adam remember they had an audience.
Stiffening, Adam looked over Harry’s shoulder, his mouth still pressed to Harry’s delicate neck.
Seyn was staring at them, wide-eyed.
“Harry,” Seyn said. “A word.”
Harry didn’t move from Adam’s lap.
“Now,” Seyn said.
Harry looked at Adam longingly.
“Harry!” Seyn gritted out. “I need to talk to you. Now.”
Harry sighed and climbed off Adam’s lap. “I’ll come back soon,” he said, his eyes soft and glazed over.
Adam nodded, watching them go and suppressing the paranoid urge to grab Harry and never let him out of his sight.
He sagged back in his chair and sighed. For fuck’s sake, Harry was just going to another room.
Adam glanced at his watch. It was fast approaching midnight and he had to get up early tomorrow. A shower sounded like a good idea while Harry talked to his friend.