Vincent turned bleary eyes on him and silently flipped him off. The last thing he wanted to think about this morning was college life. Most of that time was overshadowed by his mother’s illness and death and then the car accident that turned his life upside down.
Terrance shook his head and grabbed a cup, switching it out with the pot and letting it fill up before handing it over.
“Bless you,” Vincent muttered, ignoring Terrance’s snort as he sipped the coffee, not even caring that it was black and too bitter for his taste. He was halfway through it before he was coherent enough to glance at the table to find Amber and Keith finishing their breakfasts.
He tilted his head as he turned back to Terrance. “Aren’t you off today?” Jasper had mentioned he and Amber weren’t due back until today.
“Yeah,” Terrance answered, scooping a fresh pan of scrambled eggs onto a plate. He shrugged when Vincent eyed him like he was crazy. “We’re always up this early. Not all of us have a vendetta against sunlight.”
Vincent wasn’t awake enough to argue, so he focused on his coffee. He heard a door shut upstairs, and then Jasper clamored down the stairs and rounded into the kitchen with a grin. He shook his head, not understanding how anyone could have that kind of energy in the morning.
Terrance wiggled the coffee pot in offering, and Vincent readily held his cup out for a refill. He’d need another three in order to get through the morning until he could get home for a nap before opening the club.
Jasper’s smile faded into a frown when he saw the cup in Vincent’s hands.
The little furrow between Jasper’s eyebrows deepened as Vincent took a sip of coffee. He doubted Jasper was even aware of his reaction, much less recognized that specific type of jealousy for what it was. That could become a problem, but it could wait until he was more coherent.
“Eat up. You must be starving after last night,” Terrance said, smirking as he handed Jasper a plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast.
Jasper scowled as he took the plate. “Ass.”
Terrance laughed and mussed Jasper’s hair. “Why’re you so cranky? Did Vincent kick you out of your own bed?”
“Amber should teach you to mind your own business,” Jasper said, slapping at Terrance’s hand.
Vincent raised an eyebrow, not missing the shift in moods around the table.
Amber glanced up, phone in one hand and toast in the other, hovering halfway to her mouth. She met Vincent’s eyes before setting her toast back on her plate and straightening in her seat. “I need to do what?”
Terrance winced and stepped away. He turned off the stove, grabbed his own plate, and took it to the table.
Apparently they’d be dealing with Jasper’s jealousy now.
Jasper’s cheek twitched as he gritted his teeth, staring at his plate and scuffing his foot against the floor. “Nothing,” he finally said, setting the plate aside. “I’m not hungry. Can we go?”
“No,” Vincent replied, ignoring Jasper’s sneer.
“Why? Is there some rule that says ‘Keep your mouth shut when someone’s sub oversteps with your Sir’?”
Terrance sputtered and turned to Jasper with wide eyes. “I what?”
“You heard me!” Jasper clenched his fists and shoved away from the counter.
Vincent frowned. “Jasper.”
Jasper stopped at the edge of the kitchen, though he refused to turn around.
With a sigh, he glanced at Amber. “Sorry. I’ll take care of it.” Amber nodded as he dumped his coffee in the sink and guided Jasper out of the kitchen with a hand on his shoulder.
Jasper grabbed his bag on their way out the door. When they reached the car, he slumped into the passenger seat, staring out the window with his arms crossed.
Vincent let him stew. There were a dozen ways he could approach this, though he wasn’t sure which would be best. Jasper wasn’t stupid, and he picked up on things quickly enough, but the issue was finding the real root of the problem.
He pulled into a café near the college twenty minutes later and held his card out to Jasper. “You’re not going to class on an empty stomach,” he said when Jasper eyed him in confusion.
Once Jasper was out of the car, he let out a slow breath. He probably should have expected this with how Jasper reacted to Adam, but he never expected that kind of reaction with his own family. Then again, Jasper hadn’t interacted much with others in the lifestyle. Even in the club, he stayed in Vincent’s office or at his side.
Maybe he should remedy that once Jasper’s finals were out of the way.
