Part 2: Konnor and Grayson
After All This Time
Chapter 1
Konnor sat down at the café on Thursday morning and immediately noticed the tense atmosphere amongst the Dashwood family members. Grayson was pretending everything was fine, even when he knew it wasn't, while the twins were sending each other furtive looks across the table.
“How are you two settling in?” Konnor asked the twins, taking a drink as he watched them for a telling reaction.
Casen had just started working at the museum with Cormag, taking on the role of his secretary, to help with the more paperwork related items on his schedule. Mack, on the other hand, had just moved into an apartment with Levi, now that their courses were finished and they were both working at the local Italian restaurant as waiters.
“Fine,” Mack said, sitting back in his seat, lazily stretching his legs under the table and tucking his hands into his trouser pockets. He seemed perfectly calm, though he barely took his eyes off his brother.
“Not bad,” Casen answered, putting on a sweet smile, before tucking into the last quarter of his baguette.
Konnor hoped that he could coax them into spilling whatever secret they were keeping, but wasn't sure how to do that. With just over a week until they all met up at the cabin with the main contingent of their friends, he didn't have long to get the information out of them. If he could just get them to loosen up and think no one had noticed the awkward atmosphere, he might find out what was going on.
Casen appeared momentarily torn. It looked like he wanted to speak up, then he flinched and jumped in his seat. His cheeks flushed, while Mack cleared his throat. That look said volumes; the twins were keeping a secret and Mack was willing to kick his own brother to keep it.
“Well, it's a shame Levi couldn't make it to lunch. We could have all celebrated the new apartment,” he said, deciding to try a different tact.
If he could hint at enough people or possible secrets, he might knock one loose. Casen was terrible at keeping secrets, because he was so expressive, so he was the most likely to crack. Konnor wasn't going to let them avoid it for long. He wasn't a child and he didn't need to be protected; he could handle whatever was going on.
“He was busy,” Mack replied, with a quick glance at his brother. “He had to cover an extra shift.”
“Right. Exactly.” Casen brightened and took a drink, but Konnor was still sceptical.
He didn't like secrets and there was a doozy being kept from him. Konnor was nothing if not patient. He had learned that from Grayson, so he waited and watched as lunch went by. He watched Casen slowly relaxing into his seat and Mack laughing rather than keeping a close eye on his twin.
When lunch was over, Mack dragged Casen away, to get a head start on packing for the cabin. They had agreed amongst themselves that it would be best to pack tonight since they left for the cabin not this Saturday but the one after and almost all of them were far too busy with other commitments to fit it in before then. They had to fit packing into whatever five, ten or twenty minutes they could grab here and there.
Their departure solved one problem. But the other remained.
“Gray,” he said, catching his boyfriend's hand as they walked back to campus, “what's the big secret you're all afraid to tell me?” he wondered, asking outright, since he knew it was best. If he had to, he had other plans to fall back on.
“What secret?” Grayson answered with a question. That innocent tone didn't fool him.
“The secret that had you quiet through lunch. The one that made Casen a nervous wreck and provoked Mack into kicking his own twin, under the table,” Konnor reminded him, though he knew damned well that Grayson hadn't forgotten. He was just being difficult. And he kind of loved it.
“You caught that, did you?”
“I'm not blind.”
Grayson chewed his lip and looked down at their joined hands. “You couldn't just pretend you never saw it?” he asked, hopefully.
The way he swung their hands between them and gave him sad puppy dog eyes told Konnor he really should do as he asked. “And why would I do that?” he wondered aloud. This was more than about curing his curiosity now; it was about finding out what hurt the guy he cared about more than anything.
“Because I'd totally make it worth your while.” Grayson winked at him as they approached their apartment.
Konnor kept quiet, until they were upstairs and in the privacy of their bedroom. He sat on the bed, but didn't venture into lying down. He was too confused to do anything but keep fishing for information. “Blow job worth it or insanely hot sex worth it?” he teased, wondering just how good this secret was.
“Both, if you like,” his boyfriend said, with a beaming smile. Grayson climbed onto the bed in front of him and started undoing the white shirt he'd worn to work.
Konnor worked at a local restaurant, since there were few other jobs available at the moment for college graduates; he'd always hated the white shirt and black trouser look, since it made him look stupid, but he couldn't deny that it had some benefits. Grayson found the outfit 'sexy', or so he kept saying, while he thought his own laid back outfit of cargo shorts and a t-shirt was uninteresting and plain. But, he couldn't expect too much; he worked as an assistant in a gym. He had to be comfortable and flexible.
“You'rethatadamant that I shouldn't know what you three were talking about? What the hell is that bad?” Konnor asked, reluctantly dragging his mind away from the thoughts Grayson had put there. It was unfair, the way he could distract him so easily. But, they were not together just for the sex. They were together for the long haul and that meant sex could wait.
“You think I wouldn't be willing to offer you a blow job and insanely hot sex for any other reason?” Grayson chuckled, pulling his shirt off his shoulders. He looked relaxed and content, so Konnor let him keep going.
