“Angel, this is a thing you’ve done. You chose to act like this, only thinking about yourself, not what it might do to Seth’s career, or your brother’s relationship. Not to mention the emotional distress all three of them must’ve been having over this. You need to take responsibility for your actions. I know losing your mentor is a punishment in itself, but I will not tolerate rudeness inside my house, is that clear?”
“Yes, Mom,” Angel said, obviously cowed against his will. “I’m sorry.”
“Right. Now, could someone pass me the salad, and please dig into the moussaka before it gets cold,” she said, reaching for the salad bowl Dev handed over.
THE RESTof the dinner went fine, although Angel was still quiet and awkward. Dev couldn’t help that, though. It wasn’t up to him. As much as he loved Angel—and God knows he did—this wasn’t Dev’s fault and he refused to carry the responsibility to make up with him.
After dinner, Dad wanted to “show his office” to Leaf, and Seth was summoned to help Mom with cleaning the kitchen. Angel and Dev were shooed away, and they shuffled into the family room, then sat on different ends of the massive sectional.
“They’re getting the talk, aren’t they?” Angel asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.
“Yeah. Leaf already got one from Mom.”
“They seem to like Mom and Dad and vice versa,” Angel said in a tone Dev couldn’t read at all.
“Yeah, they really do. I mean, they probably have more in common with them than anyone we’ve ever dated before. Closer in age and all that.” Dev shrugged.
Angel made a humming sound. “I’m sorry,” he said after another few minutes. “I… you know how I tend to react before I think, right?” Angel glanced at him, then raised a hand. “I know it’s not an excuse, it’s not. I swear.”
“I’ve lived with you most of my life, Angel. I know you,” Dev assured. “But this time, you didn’t just hurt me. And this was neveraboutme, which makes it hurt even more.”
“I….” Angel looked away and gnawed on his lower lip for a while.
Dev could tell he was ruminating on something, the agitation in his features and small ticks as familiar as Dev’s own body language. He loved Angel, but he couldn’t help with this, whatever it was.
“I realized last night why I might’ve reacted as I did,” Angel said eventually. He still couldn’t look at Dev, though.
“Oh?”
“I tried to… you know, separate feelings and all that shit. Use the stuff I’ve actually learned in therapy. And I figured out it was probably because… I guess I had a thing for Seth.”
Dev’s jaw dropped. “You what?”
“I might’ve been pissed off because you got to have him and I didn’t.” Then, quickly, he glanced at Dev and raised both of his hands. “Not that I consciously wanted to. I think it was more hero worship than attraction. I would never….”
“Yeah, I know.” Angel would never try to take what was Dev’s or vice versa. They’d agreed on that very early on in their lives.
“I just… it will take time, okay? I can see you’re all happy, and Mom and Dad like them a lot. Just, give me time?” Angel looked at him carefully.
“Is this where I tell you I’m going to move out of the house for real when we get back home?” Dev peered at his brother, the corner if his mouth twitching.
Angel groaned and then laughed. He looked at Dev, who, seeing it was the first time in a while Angel looked at him with something positive in his gaze, laughed, and then ugly sobbed at the same time.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Angel groaned, then moved to Dev’s side of the couch and hugged him close. “I’m sorry, Dev. I really am.”
“Me too,” Dev said, because he was truly sorry about how things had gone between them, no matter the reason.
THAT NIGHT,when they went to bed, Dev cuddled in the middle of his lovers and sighed contently.
“I’m glad you could make up with your brother,” Leaf said quietly in the darkness of the room.
“Me too. Although, now that I know why he was an ass….” He hadn’t told Seth and Leaf yet, and couldn’t wait for their reactions.
“Other than Seth being ‘unprofessional’?”
“Yeah. Turns out he has some repressed feelings for Seth here,” Dev said casually, then grinned against Leaf’s shoulder.
“He… what?” Seth sounded scandalized, and it made Dev laugh.
