He closed the front door behind him and hesitated, clearly wanting to argue.
“I’m just grabbing a few things,” Nate said. It was the first time he was returning home since. “I want a minute to sort through my stuff.”
“And your thoughts.” Kaz nodded in understanding, though it sounded like he still wasn’t a fan. He was trying though, like he’d promised he would, and that was more than enough at the moment. “Okay, Pretty Boy. I’ll check on the kitchen. The stuff in your fridge is most likely rotten now.”
Nate chuckled. “Is the big bad Brumal underboss about to clean out my refrigerator? What’s next? Want to fix my leaky faucet, too?”
“No,” he replied. “Because that would give you a reason to move back here, and I’d prefer you stay with me.”
He’d agreed to remain at the penthouse until he was fully healed. After that, they’d discuss it again and see where they both stood on the matter. In the beginning, Nate had figured it was smart in the off chance they ended up being terrible roommates. Kaz had stayed many nights here with him after they’d started dating, but it wasn’t the same as officially moving in together.
But things had actually gone really well. They’d synced their schedules almost seamlessly in the past week.
“I have to go back to work eventually, Kaz,” Nate told him, stopping at the entrance to the hall. “I won’t be comfortable living off of you forever. That’s just not in my nature.”
Jones had understood when Nate had needed to take sick leave, but he’d also managed to find a replacement in that timeframe. He’d called to tell him the other day, letting him know that he wouldn’t fire him if he still wanted the job, but that his help was also no longer necessary.
Basically, that meant he was back at square one.
“Come back to Quartet Air,” Kazimir suggested, and it was obvious by the way he said it that it’d been on his mind for a while. “Just, hear me out before you say no. Please?”
Nate nibbled on his bottom lip but ended up nodding.
“I know you don’t want to feel like you’re taking advantage, but that’s not what this would be. I’ve looked through your records, Narek. You’re a top-notch employee. You never missed a day of work and you always stayed extra hours to get the job done. You’re also one of the few who never had a complaint filed against them. That type of thing is rare, trust me, I’ve been interning at my dad’s company since I was sixteen. I know a thing or two.”
Nate understood his worth, at least when it came to work. He’d never slack off at something like that and had taken pride in his skills and abilities. And he did miss it, working at a shop. Getting his hands dirty and covered in grease. Joking around with Annya on their breaks.
“I just want something stable,” he admitted.
“I know, babe. I can provide that. Not because we’re dating, but because you deserve it.” Kaz took a step closer and linked his pointer finger with Nate’s. “I’ve already fired Sier. Not only was she a shit boss, she was also skimming off the top.”
“Really?” He hadn’t guessed that.
“She’s going to have a great time explaining that to the authorities,” Kaz stated. “I’ve also purchased a new location and plan on having the business rebranded and moved.”
“What about the rest of the employees?”
“They’ve been given the choice to stay on or take their leave. If they choose the latter, they’ll be given letters of recommendation to help them find new jobs. Unless you tell me now that there was someone else who treated you poorly there.”
“So much for not doing any of this because we’re dating, huh?” He snickered. “No, no one else was bothering me. Just Sier.”
“Good. So you’ll come back?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Nate.”
“Let me think about it, okay?” He laughed when Kaz made a face. “I swear I’m not going anywhere either way. I just want to be sure this is the right career move for me, that’s all. My life has already changed so much in the past two months. It’s a lot. I need to digest it all, preferably without pain meds still coursing through my system.”
“All right.” He let him go and then motioned toward the hall. “Hurry up and pack. You refused breakfast, but there’s noway I’m allowing you to skip out on lunch. Speaking of those meds, they aren’t meant to be taken on an empty stomach.”
“I’m the one who took care of my sister whenever she was ill, remember?” Nate headed to his bedroom.
“Yes, and now I’m the one who’s going to take care of you,” Kazimir called after him.
Nate didn’t respond, not sure what he’d say. He was still getting used to this, the softer side of Kazimir that touched him delicately and looked at him like he was afraid he’d up and vanish in a puff of smoke. The kidnapping hadn’t just affected Nate, it’d done something to Kaz as well.
He’d skipped out on classes all week, ignoring Nate when he’d told him to go and he’d be fine on his own. Even the Brumal had been rejected, Kaz shutting his multi-slate off more often than not. It seemed like they were both trying to relearn the other, testing if they could be more than sharp tongues and biting words. So far, it was looking like they could.
