“If we run, we might just be able to get away,” Leon whispered, right as Hailey emerged from the room, holding Trina’s hand.
“Hi, Trina,” James said, waving like some sort of dork.
Trina lifted their chin at him with a slight smirk. “Hey.”
“What are you guys up to?” Hailey asked as she and Trina followed them towards the stairs.
“No. Absolutely not,” Leon said.
He removed his arm from around James’ shoulders so he could take his hand and hurry him along.
“I’m just asking to be polite!” Hailey called, but Leon shook his head and walked faster. They entered the staircase at something close to a jog.
The last two times Hailey had casually asked what they were doing, James and Leon had somehow ended up roped into the teenage white lies she told her mom.
He could hear Trina’s combat boots clicking on the stairs behind them as they rounded the first landing, along with the soft padding of Hailey’s ballet flats. “Mom is home, and we’re having dinner with her. Thanks for asking,” Hailey called loudly.
“I think they might actually be running from you, boo. Who knew you were so scary?” Trina deadpanned.
“I am pretty intimidating,” Hailey said.
Leon huffed and pulled James up the stairs. Thank god he only lived on the third floor.
“You’re definitely pretty,” Trina said, their voice barely carrying up the staircase.
“Aww, thanks, pookie!”
“No,” Leon growled loudly before shoving open the door to their floor. He rushed James down the hall and practically threw himself into the apartment.
James caught the door before it slammed shut and poked his head out to see Hailey and Trina strolling hand in hand down the hall towards them.
“Have a great dinner!” James said cheerily, mostly because he knew how much it irritated Leon when he prolonged their interactions with Hailey, giving her more time to implicate them in her trouble.
“You guys have fun doing whatever it is you’re doing. Try not to break a hip or whatever!” Hailey called, and Trina burst into surprised laughter.
Leon pulled James into the apartment, and James was laughing, too?—
Until he couldn’t laugh anymore because Leon had shoved him up against the closed door, sealing their mouths together.
James tipped his head back, allowing Leon’s lemongrass-flavored tongue to slide into his mouth. He wrapped his arms around Leon’s shoulders and let out a surprised squeak when Leon grabbed the backs of his thighs and hefted him up.
“Leon,” James gasped as he wrapped his legs tightly around Leon’s back.
“Break a hip, my fucking ass,” Leon grumbled.
James couldn’t help but laugh again, even as Leon carried him into the bedroom and kicked the door shut so they wouldn’t be bothered by his cat, Yarmen.
“Have you told Hailey how much you care about her?” James asked, resulting in him getting tossed onto the bed rather roughly.
“No,” Leon growled, yanking off his shirt.
Today, he was wearing a bright red belly button piercing, and he had actual rings in his nipples. James' mouth ran dry as he envisioned yanking on them with his teeth.
“Well…by your account, you probably should…” James trailed off as Leon dropped his jeans, revealing silky black boxers.
“Darlin’,” Leon growled.
James looked up into dark brown eyes, swirling with some cross between annoyance, lust, and a mysterious third thing James had been seeing more and more of lately. He was starting to wonder if it was anything like the deep, aching feeling he was beginning to have for Leon.
