Kage chuckled. “Well, Latif got me the plant, but his daughters decorated it. The cactus represents me. Kids are perceptive like that.”
“Ah. That also explains the glitter.” Finley grinned, imagining the girls running around the pristine flat. “That’s priceless.”
“I was humming the Paw Patrol theme song for hours that time they visited. Now they’re watching something else. I don’t know the title but I do remember the opening song.” He groaned, but his smile was far from annoyed.
“Did you ever want kids?” Finley asked. Kage already knew his stance on the matter.
“I don’t know. I never got to that part of my life where I was supposed to think about it. Now I’m fine with being the cactus uncle.” He looked towards the plant that brought a sliver of ridiculousness into the posh music lover vibe the place had going on.
Finley pulled Kage into his arms. “A prickly one that still wants hugs.”
“Yes.” Kage snuggled into Finley and the pure closeness squeezed Finley by the heart. Tears pricked in his eyes, proving how much he’d been touch starved. Given Kage’s steady breathing and the tight grip he had on Finley, his prickly Dom needed the cuddle just as much.
Finley took in the myriad of picture frames on shelves that held Kage’s memories from childhood, and trips to so many places in the world, Finley couldn’t recognise some of them. He’d travelled with Max during every school break, but his work prevented him from leaving for long. Oh, how different their past had been, yet they’d ended up in this moment in time when they somehow matched. Or at least that was how Finley saw it.
“Who’s that?” Finley pointed to a picture of a small Kage next to a girl with two pony tails and wearing a frilly pink dress.
“That’s Mike. He transitioned at sixteen.” Kage pulled away and got to his feet. “Tea?”
“Yes. Let me help.” Finley stood up and followed Kage to the kitchen. “I’m sure Mike was happy to have you as support.” He poked at the fancy porcelain jars of several types of tea, then plucked a bag of English Breakfast for himself.
“We always had each other in that special way siblings do. We fought but remained close. When he came out, my parents were initially scared but not surprised. They were fully on board to do whatever it took to help Mike become his true self.” Kage put the kettle on and pulled out two mismatched mugs that were clearly bought in a gift shop. One was from Tuscany, the other from St Martin.
Kage must have seen Finley’s stupefied expression at the random mug choice in a house where even tea sat in porcelain.
“Mum and Dad brought those from trips. Initially, I put them on display but Mum said they were made to be used. So, enjoy.” He poured the water over the bags and waved a hand at the steam like a magician.
Finley kissed his cheek, unable to help himself at the utter adorableness wafting off Kage when he was relaxed. He took his mug and the tiny jug of milk Kage had poured for him. “Tell me about them. They sound like good people.”
“When we were growing up, they were the type of parents you see on children’s TV—always there and ready to answer questions,” Kage said as they sat back on the couch. “They both worked, so we had a nanny when we were little and she was like a member of our family. I fell in love with sixties and seventies music and soul thanks to my mum. She played it while she was cooking and she and Dad danced to it in the living room.” Kage’ssmile was fond and Finley had a hard time imagining what his life looked like, being so much different from Finley’s childhood.
“They adopted Mike and me within months of each other. I was left at the steps of a church. Only my name, written in Japanese letters, suggested my ancestry. My parents brought me up in their culture, white and British, but they attempted to incorporate Japanese traditions for my benefit.” He shrugged. “They tried their best, but I was never Japanese enough but also not white either. I didn’t want Mum and Dad, the people who gave me a home, to think I didn’t appreciate their efforts.”
“It must have been hard growing up.”
“Kids are mean to anyone whether they have a reason or not, but being visually different in a school full of rich, mostly white kids was a bit of a war zone. I couldn’t hide. It took me years to accept that I didn’t want to hide my heritage. I can explore it, and as an adult I can pick and choose what I want and build my own identity. I learned the language and know enough to communicate when I travel to Japan, but that’s about it. It feels like a betrayal. My birth parents must have had a good reason to leave me, but I don’t owe them anything.”
Finley put his arm over the backrest and repositioned to face Kage. “Did you try finding them?”
“No. I wouldn’t know where to start. But also, I don’t want to. Have you looked for yours?”
“Yeah. But they left a toddler at a gas station so I didn’t have any trace. And I was too young to remember what they even looked like. Then it was a bouncing game from one foster home to another until I was old enough to live by myself.” Finley shrugged, wanting to change the subject he’d started himself.
“Come here.” Kage reached out, and Finley let him reposition them both until Finley’s head was on Kage’s lap. “I love your freckles.” Kage traced a finger over the bridge of Finley’s nose. “They’re like stars in the sky of your face—each one different andunique.” His delicate touch and soft words threatened to break Finley into a million pieces and he wasn’t ready to leave or burst into tears.
Finley had hated them when he was little. He thought they made him look girly and pretty. Then, he’d realised that was not a bad thing at all.
He cleared his throat, dislodging the lump there. “So does today count as our first date as a couple?” He danced his fingers up Kage’s chest to the vee of his open shirt, tracing the delicate necklace there.
Kage pulled it out, dangling the padlock charm as the room filled with P.P. Arnold’sThe First Cut Is the Deepest.
“Now, in all seriousness, Finley. How do you think this is gonna work between us? Because I can’t just wing it.” He tightened his hand around the padlock and dropped it back behind his shirt.
“I’d be surprised at the extensive discussion of details but I’m talking to a Dom who deals with contracts on a daily basis.”
Kage snorted in amusement. “I found a way to protect myself and even though it’s not the same with you, I need to know what to expect. What you want out of this—” He swallowed. “—relationship.”
“I would never ask you to abandon your job, if that’s what you’re worried about. Can I be your sub? Just yours?” Finley asked, not hiding the hope in his voice.
