Mike's first day back home was passing quickly. Between caring for the twins and studying, he'd been busy most of the day, which left little time for brooding over all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Ryan had been helpful with the girls, and Mike had gotten to play with Julien a little, too. Together they'd made lunch, and after everyone had eaten, Mike cleaned the kitchen while the girls sucked on pacifiers and kicked their feet in their bouncy chairs.
Lunch had been so busy with the three kids that Mike didn't notice until later that Jason hadn't said much during the meal. He'd talked with Julien while eating half of his turkey sandwich, but very little had been said between him and Ryan. It made Mike feel uneasy, especially when he settled down on the couch with the girls in their seats on the floor in front of him. He liked to sit that way, where he could reach out with his foot to jiggle the seat a little and make them smile. They would both be drifting off to sleep soon, and then Mike had a decision to make - nap time, or writing time. He had a paper to work on, but he wasn't exactly feeling it at the moment.
He wasn't sure how long he sat and read in his textbook before he glanced down to see both babies asleep, and that was his cue. It was naptime for all, especially since the house had gone silent. Mike didn't waste any time taking the girls to their cribs and going to lay down himself, hoping a power nap would motivate him to work on his assignment a little.
On the other side of the house, Jason was ready for afternoon coffee instead of a nap. He wasn't sure what Ryan and Julien were doing, and he was surprised when he peeked into the boy's room to find it empty. After lunch, he'd retreated back to work and Ryan had crossed the office a few times on the way to the bedroom, but Jason hadn't paid much attention to what was happening.
Now, he paused as he walked through the quiet living room. There were faint squeals coming from outside, and he looked out at the pool. Cheese was running back and forth in front of the pool while Julien clapped and laughed in Ryan's arms. Apparently one of those trips had been to retrieve swim trunks, and Jason watched the pair in the pool for a moment.
It was a happy sight, and Jason observed quietly while the dog and the baby teased each other. Ryan's hair was wet and his biceps were strong as he held onto his son, and Jason took his time examining his husband's tattoos. So many times in the past year he'd stopped and had the same thought - how grateful he was that Ryan was healthy and strong for both him and Julien. The three of them were happy together, which was why Ryan's attitude the night before had been so upsetting. Turning the ringer off on his phone seemed like such a small thing, and Jason was still pondering how to make things right. It was rare for Ryan to even be mildly upset with him, and it left Jason feeling uncomfortable.
He hated the tension between them and even if Ryan had been responsive at lunch, there was a coolness to the conversation that was palpable. Jason crossed his arms as he looked out the windows. They decided to send Mike to Seattle to apologize. He and I worked it out, like everyone wanted. I don't think he's mad that we had sex, but it seems more reasonable than being mad that I turned off the ringer. He admitted he and Chester screwed five seconds after he flew back to L.A. He even took Julien to Brad's!
Jason's eyes narrowed as he watched Julien splash water at the edge of the pool. Cheese barked every time he did it. He can say they were caught up in the moment, but that was planned. Maybe the sex wasn't planned, but being alone was definitely planned. He took our son somewhere else so he and Chester could be alone. How is me turning off my phone to be with Mike worse?
He glanced at his watch. The day was moving so slowly. He'd done far too much work in Seattle and hadn't left himself much to do - which would have been fine a month ago. A month ago Ryan would have been in and out of the office several times, telling Jason something interesting he'd just read or heard on the news, or bringing Julien in to play. Today there had been a lot of down time and not much to fill it. Even Mike had been scarce, and Jason looked around the living room.
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Devil's Impact
قصص الهواة[Part Six to Devil's Drop] Love. Trust. Balance. Mike, Chester, Ryan, and Jason are still working on leaving past traumas behind. Will they succeed or will Mark's impact on all their lives be the end of everything they've been trying to hold on to f...
