joyeuse anniversaire
okay, so i was originally going to post this tomorrow, (like, mette's tomorrow), but because of my ridiculously embarrassing lack of ability to do timezone conversions and the lj move, i am doing it now (because i'm pretty sure i'll miss the day completely otherwise and then i'll just feel like a tool).
haha, yes. this is the extent of my capability at photoshop. \o/
also, mette? you can haz, um. in no particular order, aj/nick; aj/howie; aj/brian; brian/howie; nick/howie; brian/nick/howie! yeah, that about sums it up.
It's awkward as hell the morning after.
AJ wakes up with his legs tangled in the sheets, in a way that he recognizes intimately as meaning there's someone else there with him. His head is heavy, eyes still hooded with sleep as he pushes himself up gingerly on his elbows. The room smells like vodka and sex, and it takes AJ a second to get his bearings.
Which is when he realizes it's Carter's leg caught around his ankle, jesus, Nick, and he barely manages to stifle his, "shit, goddammit, fucking shit."
The bed stirs, and there's a flash of spun-gold as Brian lifts his head, bleary and disoriented. It takes him even less time to realize he's not alone. He meets AJ's eyes over the still-sleeping bodies between them, half-panicked. "Oh my god," he whispers.
Oh my god, AJ almost says, right with him. Brian's eyes are red, disheveled hair curling against his cheek, and his lips are so raw it almost looks painful, and it's suddenly hitting AJ that this is - it's just been so long for the two of them since -- and they were drunk, and he feels a strange, foreign pang in his stomach at the thought.
"No forgetting about this one," he mutters, instead. He can see Brian reaching uncertainly for Howie, who's got one bare shoulder peeking out from under the covers. Nick's arm is on pillow duty, thrown carelessly out beneath Howie's resting head. The rest of Nick is curled up around him, knees tucked against the back of Howie's--
--It's painfully obvious they fit together. Like this, and every other way. Howie starts out mouthing words AJ can't hear, his hands in Nick's hair. Nick moves easily, confidently, and Howie ends up with his hands scrabbling over Nick's back for purchase, stringing incoherent sounds together as Nick aligns their bodies. Howie breathes out a quiet, "Nick," and then Nick's head falls onto Howie's shoulder with a choked gasp. "Jesus," AJ mutters. They'd be fucking Disney-style porno bestsellers.
Nick snuffles, then, before Brian's hand gets anywhere near Howie, and he comes awake slowly as he turns over. He blinks, sleepily, seems to realize that Howie's still warm and naked beside him, and closes his eyes again.
Brian coughs.
Nick cracks an eye open again, and it shows on his face when he finally registers that AJ's sitting naked across him. He springs up so suddenly that Brian only narrowly avoids being smacked by an errant elbow, and Howie jerks up along with him.
"What?" Howie demands, voice still rough with dreams. "The twins didn't do it! Brian? What--oh. Oh." He pauses as he takes in the situation, before he looks over at Nick with wide eyes, and breathes out another, "Oh."
"Yeah," AJ can't help saying. "You covered that."
He's looking at Howie, but Howie's gaping at Nick, who's watching Brian, and AJ can feel Brian's gaze on him like it's a physical force in itself. They're all staring, but no one's really looking anyone else in the eye.
"So," Nick says, after a moment, and barely glances at AJ as he withdraws his calf from where it's been trapping AJ's under the sheets. It's like a cue; everyone kind of cautiously, slowly, pulls their limbs back to themselves.
Howie's moving a little slower than the rest of them, though, biting his lower lip as he winces, and AJ can't help seeing the dark band of color around both Howie's wrists--
--Howie's writhing under him, hips smooth as fucking liquid, leaning up despite the fact that AJ's got him pinned, and AJ looks at Nick, whose eyes are dark and glossy, mouth even shinier with Brian's spit. "Like that?" AJ asks, tightening his grip, and Howie moans, and Nick's throat works, painfully, for a second, before he says, "yeah, he - yeah, just like that," voice rough, and it takes another second before he lets Brian pull him back down.
"Um," Nick says, then, and AJ jerks, turns to Nick involuntarily. Nick's hair is wild, almost as on edge as he is. He looks completely worn out, a little awkward, and entirely satisfied. AJ's stomach does an odd little flip--
--Nick's trembling against him, pupils blown, blonde hair fanning out over the pillow like some kind of goddamn halo. Nick's always been good, always known what he's doing, even before, but this is... he's so damn eager, lips and mouth and hands moving all at once. It's like they never stopped doing this. "Fuck," AJ breathes, and Nick huffs, "no, but will you hurry up so we can get there?" and AJ thinks, I'm fucking an angel with my fingers, and laughs.
"Morning?" Nick says, and AJ blinks. Nick's just staring at a spot somewhere over the top of Howie's head. The two are like a package combo, which somehow makes everything worse.
Jesus. They're a big, hungover mess of naked limbs, and fuck if this isn't one of the most uncomfortable moment of AJ's life.
Nick clears his throat when there's no reply.
"Morning," Howie mumbles quickly, into the awkward silence that's ensued.
"Morning," Brian choruses, weakly, and Howie glances over at him. It's almost hesitant, but then he smiles, just a bit, and they share a look, warm but half-guilty, before Howie ducks his head again, shyly--
--they're anything but shy, now, touching each other like they never want to stop, wanton and curious all at once. Brian dips his head, licks Howie's nipple experimentally, and Howie makes a low, quiet whine in the back of his throat and tugs Brian up so he can kiss him. Beneath AJ, Nick shudders, and AJ puts a hand on his chest to steady him without looking away. Brian moves slow, nips at Howie's lower lip, then his upper one, before Howie's calf goes around his back and tugs him further in. Jesus, it's like they're going to get off without even touching each other.
AJ lets out a long, heavy breath. He has no idea how they all survived that. When he glances up, everyone's still refusing to look at everyone else, though Nick and Howie have somehow managed to shift closer, Howie almost hunching into Nick's side. Brian's head is bowed as he fiddles with the pillowcase, and AJ can tell he's itching to reach for his clothes.
It's stifling, and awkward, and ridiculous as all hell. They're acting like virgins.
"Jesus," AJ snaps, finally, just to break the silence. Three heads dart up. "We had sex; don't act like someone fucking died in here. I've got the hangover of all fucking hangovers, so I'm going to get myself drunk again." He pauses in the midst of getting out of bed, and turns to look over his shoulder. "We didn't finish all the alcohol last night, did we?"
Nick blinks, clearly caught off-guard. "Uh, no. No, I don't - there should still--"
"Yeah," Howie nods.
"Great." AJ yanks his previously discarded jeans up off the floor, pauses just before he steps right into them. "You need another minute to perv or can I put my pants on?" He feels a little vindicated when Nick coughs, and tugs his jeans up the rest of the way.
Before he reaches the door, Brian says, "AJ--
--AJ," Brian whispers, breathing hot and needy into the curve of his neck. Brian's taking his time, pushing into AJ so slowly, so fucking slowly, that AJ's shaking, head thrown back, teeth grit so hard his jaw hurts. "AJ," Brian murmurs, again, like this isn't taking any effort at all. He brushes a finger gently against AJ's torso, and AJ's stomach contracts so hard it hurts, "You gonna show me how much you want me?"
AJ hesitates, then rubs the back of his neck. "I'll get everyone a glass," he says, shakily, before Brian can go on.
Fuck.
He takes his time in the kitchen, grabbing a jug of water on top of all the alcohol that they haven't consumed. There's a lot of it left, a lot, and AJ isn't going to think too deeply on what that means. Instead, he looks at the paintings that Howie's hung up there - all signed 'N. Carter' with a flourish at the bottom. They're all full of movement and emotion, all careful but effortless, and Nick is clearly happy with this apartment, with this life he has with Howie. There are others, too, a crayon-drawing obviously done by inept hands that's tacked up with magnets to the door of the fridge: Me, Aaron, Nicky and Howie, it announces, across the top.
AJ feels like he's intruding, and he leaves before he touches one of the pieces and smudges it.
He pauses at the bedroom door, gives himself a second before clearing his throat and going inside. They've clearly been talking, the three of them, and they look up, silent and guilty, as he sets the mugs down. "Don't stop on my account," AJ says, too-casual, as he looks around at them. They've all got some measure of clothing on, now, though Howie's the only one who's bothered with a shirt - Nick's - too.
"We were just," Nick says, and it would be conversational save the fact his voice cracks at the end, "We were talking about, um. Because, um, are we. This isn't--"
Howie seems to find his voice when Nick falters. "We're okay, right?" he asks, before darting an uncertain glance at Nick. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so... fucking sweet.
Brian looks at him, too, then, and that's three matching hopeful expressions that AJ doesn't know what to do with, as if all he has to do is say the magic word.
AJ feels his bravado slipping a little.
They've been building tentative bridges between the four of them, having an occasional lunch together in the cafeteria, actually hanging out in the Yearbook Room when they have a free period or a lazy afternoon to spare, talking about everything and nothing. Sometimes, AJ drops by to see Howie anyway, with or without Brian, a product of the ripple effect that the whole debacle with Nick had caused. Sometimes he doesn't even pretend he has an excuse.
They've got something here, something edging close to friendship.
AJ looks up, then, and he isn't even surprised to find Howie looking back at him. He's obviously embarrassed, but it's not as bad as AJ expected it would be. Being with Jeremy's done him some good, whether or not they acknowledge it. Nick's gone quiet again, drawing patterns on the sheets with his palms, and Brian's just watching him, expression unreadable.
--he's half asleep as he watches Brian crawl over to where Nick's lazily kissing the inside of Howie's thigh. Nick smiles up at Brian, sleepy-sated, and puts a hand on Brian's back to pull him close. AJ's always been a one-on-one kind of guy, but he's starting to see the appeal in this. Then Nick blows a raspberry on Howie's stomach, and Howie laughs and arches, enough that Brian can roll on top of him. He touches Howie's hair, soft and reverent, then leans in to kiss him. Howie lifts his head willingly, already reaching to tug Nick up to join them. AJ drifts off as they fold into Howie, pale beside his darker skin, wrapping him in a blanket of sandy-haired, blue-eyed beauty.
Jesus. AJ doesn't want to lose this. He's lost a hell of a lot more for much less.
"Look," he sighs, eventually, helplessly. "It's not like the sex was bad enough that I'm taking a vow of celibacy."
Nick startles at that, and Brian's mouth twitches. Howie's shoulders lose some of their tension. "So..." he says, uncertainly.
AJ makes an exasperated sound. "Yes, Christ. Yes, we're fucking okay."
Nick makes a failed attempt at biting back his grin, and then he's off the bed, putting his arms around AJ and giving him a solid, wet kiss. "For fuck's sake," AJ says, as he backhands the shine off his mouth. "You have no sense of personal space."
"Leave him alone before he changes his mind," Howie adds, voice warm with mirth. He smiles when he catches AJ's eye, and damn it if AJ isn't hard-pressed not to smile back.
"This is to make up for kicking you out of our bedroom," Nick informs him. He tosses a quick grin at Brian over his shoulder. "Howie can kiss you to make up for it too, if you want."
"Nick!" Howie splutters, at that, but Brian just rolls his eyes, laughs and says, "C'mere," and kisses him, soft and quick on the mouth.
"Okay!" Nick says, brightly, as he catches Brian's hand and tugs both him and AJ toward the door before shoving them both out of the room. "We might be a while, so hang out and we can have lunch later, okay?"
Brian doesn't even blink when Nick shuts the door in their faces. His mouth is still curved in a smile. It takes a while before he turns to look at AJ. "You did pretty good back there," he says, low enough that there's no chance anyone but AJ will hear.
AJ scuffs his toe against the floor, managing a muted laugh and a shrug in response.
A second later, Brian lets out a breath. "Don't give me that. AJ, I thought we were past this. I feel like I should be doing the walk of shame here."
AJ does look up at that. "What?"
Brian folds his arms and leans back against the wall, head cocked. "Nice try," he says, with a faint smile, confused but still working at it. "This is the first time you've looked at me all morning."
"Jesus," AJ says. "You are a girl."
"Shut up," Brian retorts, but he clearly doesn't mean it. He ducks his head, and his still-tousled hair falls into his face. AJ reaches to brush it away, and Brian leans into his touch, cheek brushing the tips of AJ's fingers. He looks up at AJ, hopeful but patient - the same way he's looked at AJ for the past few months now - and AJ feels something come loose in his chest.
They stay like that, breathing, just for a moment. "It's just -- it figures this would be the first time we had sex again, you know?" AJ says, finally, quiet but amused, without any disappointment threaded in his voice. Not a shred.
Brian makes a startled little sound at that, obviously surprised, and AJ rolls his eyes and makes to pull away. But Brian catches his wrist and tugs him back in, shifting closer so their foreheads are touching. "And I'm the girl," he teases, a gentle edge in his voice that sounds something like wonder.
AJ stumbles over his laugh. God, he feels like a blushing fucking virgin. "Shut up," he mutters. "Or I'll burn your breakfast."
Brian starts grinning as AJ starts moving them both in the direction of the kitchen. "You're making me breakfast?"
"Unless you're offering," AJ smirks.
AJ goes inside inside the kitchen first, pulls out pans and starts looking through the cabinets for pancake mix. He's used to this, and Howie, predictably, has kept the kitchen almost as organized as Maria keeps the McLean's. It's unusually silent for a second, and when AJ turns around, Brian's watching him from the doorway, a fond smile tugging at his lips as he leans against the doorframe.
AJ looks back for a second, ducks his head before he starts grinning. "What?" he demands, to his bowl of mix.
"Last night didn't go exactly how I planned it either, you know," Brian says, after a pause. He sounds oddly serious. "But, I mean, the morning after's shaping up pretty well."
It still catches AJ by surprise, sometimes, the way their dynamic's changed. They're... more, now, even though they're still moving slow, and he's learning to be okay with that. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Brian grins, coming round the kitchen counter to press a soft kiss to the corner of AJ's mouth. "Now make me my breakfast, woman."
in sum, nothing in this world can properly describe the win you are made of. no, really. see, you put the awe in the sumsome of my life. (ha! see what i just did there? i so smrt.) so, basically, ILU, METTE! I HOPE YOU HAVE THE BESTEST BIRTHDAY EVER! <3333333
haha, yes. this is the extent of my capability at photoshop. \o/
also, mette? you can haz, um. in no particular order, aj/nick; aj/howie; aj/brian; brian/howie; nick/howie; brian/nick/howie! yeah, that about sums it up.
It's awkward as hell the morning after.
AJ wakes up with his legs tangled in the sheets, in a way that he recognizes intimately as meaning there's someone else there with him. His head is heavy, eyes still hooded with sleep as he pushes himself up gingerly on his elbows. The room smells like vodka and sex, and it takes AJ a second to get his bearings.
Which is when he realizes it's Carter's leg caught around his ankle, jesus, Nick, and he barely manages to stifle his, "shit, goddammit, fucking shit."
The bed stirs, and there's a flash of spun-gold as Brian lifts his head, bleary and disoriented. It takes him even less time to realize he's not alone. He meets AJ's eyes over the still-sleeping bodies between them, half-panicked. "Oh my god," he whispers.
Oh my god, AJ almost says, right with him. Brian's eyes are red, disheveled hair curling against his cheek, and his lips are so raw it almost looks painful, and it's suddenly hitting AJ that this is - it's just been so long for the two of them since -- and they were drunk, and he feels a strange, foreign pang in his stomach at the thought.
"No forgetting about this one," he mutters, instead. He can see Brian reaching uncertainly for Howie, who's got one bare shoulder peeking out from under the covers. Nick's arm is on pillow duty, thrown carelessly out beneath Howie's resting head. The rest of Nick is curled up around him, knees tucked against the back of Howie's--
--It's painfully obvious they fit together. Like this, and every other way. Howie starts out mouthing words AJ can't hear, his hands in Nick's hair. Nick moves easily, confidently, and Howie ends up with his hands scrabbling over Nick's back for purchase, stringing incoherent sounds together as Nick aligns their bodies. Howie breathes out a quiet, "Nick," and then Nick's head falls onto Howie's shoulder with a choked gasp. "Jesus," AJ mutters. They'd be fucking Disney-style porno bestsellers.
Nick snuffles, then, before Brian's hand gets anywhere near Howie, and he comes awake slowly as he turns over. He blinks, sleepily, seems to realize that Howie's still warm and naked beside him, and closes his eyes again.
Brian coughs.
Nick cracks an eye open again, and it shows on his face when he finally registers that AJ's sitting naked across him. He springs up so suddenly that Brian only narrowly avoids being smacked by an errant elbow, and Howie jerks up along with him.
"What?" Howie demands, voice still rough with dreams. "The twins didn't do it! Brian? What--oh. Oh." He pauses as he takes in the situation, before he looks over at Nick with wide eyes, and breathes out another, "Oh."
"Yeah," AJ can't help saying. "You covered that."
He's looking at Howie, but Howie's gaping at Nick, who's watching Brian, and AJ can feel Brian's gaze on him like it's a physical force in itself. They're all staring, but no one's really looking anyone else in the eye.
"So," Nick says, after a moment, and barely glances at AJ as he withdraws his calf from where it's been trapping AJ's under the sheets. It's like a cue; everyone kind of cautiously, slowly, pulls their limbs back to themselves.
Howie's moving a little slower than the rest of them, though, biting his lower lip as he winces, and AJ can't help seeing the dark band of color around both Howie's wrists--
--Howie's writhing under him, hips smooth as fucking liquid, leaning up despite the fact that AJ's got him pinned, and AJ looks at Nick, whose eyes are dark and glossy, mouth even shinier with Brian's spit. "Like that?" AJ asks, tightening his grip, and Howie moans, and Nick's throat works, painfully, for a second, before he says, "yeah, he - yeah, just like that," voice rough, and it takes another second before he lets Brian pull him back down.
"Um," Nick says, then, and AJ jerks, turns to Nick involuntarily. Nick's hair is wild, almost as on edge as he is. He looks completely worn out, a little awkward, and entirely satisfied. AJ's stomach does an odd little flip--
--Nick's trembling against him, pupils blown, blonde hair fanning out over the pillow like some kind of goddamn halo. Nick's always been good, always known what he's doing, even before, but this is... he's so damn eager, lips and mouth and hands moving all at once. It's like they never stopped doing this. "Fuck," AJ breathes, and Nick huffs, "no, but will you hurry up so we can get there?" and AJ thinks, I'm fucking an angel with my fingers, and laughs.
"Morning?" Nick says, and AJ blinks. Nick's just staring at a spot somewhere over the top of Howie's head. The two are like a package combo, which somehow makes everything worse.
Jesus. They're a big, hungover mess of naked limbs, and fuck if this isn't one of the most uncomfortable moment of AJ's life.
Nick clears his throat when there's no reply.
"Morning," Howie mumbles quickly, into the awkward silence that's ensued.
"Morning," Brian choruses, weakly, and Howie glances over at him. It's almost hesitant, but then he smiles, just a bit, and they share a look, warm but half-guilty, before Howie ducks his head again, shyly--
--they're anything but shy, now, touching each other like they never want to stop, wanton and curious all at once. Brian dips his head, licks Howie's nipple experimentally, and Howie makes a low, quiet whine in the back of his throat and tugs Brian up so he can kiss him. Beneath AJ, Nick shudders, and AJ puts a hand on his chest to steady him without looking away. Brian moves slow, nips at Howie's lower lip, then his upper one, before Howie's calf goes around his back and tugs him further in. Jesus, it's like they're going to get off without even touching each other.
AJ lets out a long, heavy breath. He has no idea how they all survived that. When he glances up, everyone's still refusing to look at everyone else, though Nick and Howie have somehow managed to shift closer, Howie almost hunching into Nick's side. Brian's head is bowed as he fiddles with the pillowcase, and AJ can tell he's itching to reach for his clothes.
It's stifling, and awkward, and ridiculous as all hell. They're acting like virgins.
"Jesus," AJ snaps, finally, just to break the silence. Three heads dart up. "We had sex; don't act like someone fucking died in here. I've got the hangover of all fucking hangovers, so I'm going to get myself drunk again." He pauses in the midst of getting out of bed, and turns to look over his shoulder. "We didn't finish all the alcohol last night, did we?"
Nick blinks, clearly caught off-guard. "Uh, no. No, I don't - there should still--"
"Yeah," Howie nods.
"Great." AJ yanks his previously discarded jeans up off the floor, pauses just before he steps right into them. "You need another minute to perv or can I put my pants on?" He feels a little vindicated when Nick coughs, and tugs his jeans up the rest of the way.
Before he reaches the door, Brian says, "AJ--
--AJ," Brian whispers, breathing hot and needy into the curve of his neck. Brian's taking his time, pushing into AJ so slowly, so fucking slowly, that AJ's shaking, head thrown back, teeth grit so hard his jaw hurts. "AJ," Brian murmurs, again, like this isn't taking any effort at all. He brushes a finger gently against AJ's torso, and AJ's stomach contracts so hard it hurts, "You gonna show me how much you want me?"
AJ hesitates, then rubs the back of his neck. "I'll get everyone a glass," he says, shakily, before Brian can go on.
Fuck.
He takes his time in the kitchen, grabbing a jug of water on top of all the alcohol that they haven't consumed. There's a lot of it left, a lot, and AJ isn't going to think too deeply on what that means. Instead, he looks at the paintings that Howie's hung up there - all signed 'N. Carter' with a flourish at the bottom. They're all full of movement and emotion, all careful but effortless, and Nick is clearly happy with this apartment, with this life he has with Howie. There are others, too, a crayon-drawing obviously done by inept hands that's tacked up with magnets to the door of the fridge: Me, Aaron, Nicky and Howie, it announces, across the top.
AJ feels like he's intruding, and he leaves before he touches one of the pieces and smudges it.
He pauses at the bedroom door, gives himself a second before clearing his throat and going inside. They've clearly been talking, the three of them, and they look up, silent and guilty, as he sets the mugs down. "Don't stop on my account," AJ says, too-casual, as he looks around at them. They've all got some measure of clothing on, now, though Howie's the only one who's bothered with a shirt - Nick's - too.
"We were just," Nick says, and it would be conversational save the fact his voice cracks at the end, "We were talking about, um. Because, um, are we. This isn't--"
Howie seems to find his voice when Nick falters. "We're okay, right?" he asks, before darting an uncertain glance at Nick. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so... fucking sweet.
Brian looks at him, too, then, and that's three matching hopeful expressions that AJ doesn't know what to do with, as if all he has to do is say the magic word.
AJ feels his bravado slipping a little.
They've been building tentative bridges between the four of them, having an occasional lunch together in the cafeteria, actually hanging out in the Yearbook Room when they have a free period or a lazy afternoon to spare, talking about everything and nothing. Sometimes, AJ drops by to see Howie anyway, with or without Brian, a product of the ripple effect that the whole debacle with Nick had caused. Sometimes he doesn't even pretend he has an excuse.
They've got something here, something edging close to friendship.
AJ looks up, then, and he isn't even surprised to find Howie looking back at him. He's obviously embarrassed, but it's not as bad as AJ expected it would be. Being with Jeremy's done him some good, whether or not they acknowledge it. Nick's gone quiet again, drawing patterns on the sheets with his palms, and Brian's just watching him, expression unreadable.
--he's half asleep as he watches Brian crawl over to where Nick's lazily kissing the inside of Howie's thigh. Nick smiles up at Brian, sleepy-sated, and puts a hand on Brian's back to pull him close. AJ's always been a one-on-one kind of guy, but he's starting to see the appeal in this. Then Nick blows a raspberry on Howie's stomach, and Howie laughs and arches, enough that Brian can roll on top of him. He touches Howie's hair, soft and reverent, then leans in to kiss him. Howie lifts his head willingly, already reaching to tug Nick up to join them. AJ drifts off as they fold into Howie, pale beside his darker skin, wrapping him in a blanket of sandy-haired, blue-eyed beauty.
Jesus. AJ doesn't want to lose this. He's lost a hell of a lot more for much less.
"Look," he sighs, eventually, helplessly. "It's not like the sex was bad enough that I'm taking a vow of celibacy."
Nick startles at that, and Brian's mouth twitches. Howie's shoulders lose some of their tension. "So..." he says, uncertainly.
AJ makes an exasperated sound. "Yes, Christ. Yes, we're fucking okay."
Nick makes a failed attempt at biting back his grin, and then he's off the bed, putting his arms around AJ and giving him a solid, wet kiss. "For fuck's sake," AJ says, as he backhands the shine off his mouth. "You have no sense of personal space."
"Leave him alone before he changes his mind," Howie adds, voice warm with mirth. He smiles when he catches AJ's eye, and damn it if AJ isn't hard-pressed not to smile back.
"This is to make up for kicking you out of our bedroom," Nick informs him. He tosses a quick grin at Brian over his shoulder. "Howie can kiss you to make up for it too, if you want."
"Nick!" Howie splutters, at that, but Brian just rolls his eyes, laughs and says, "C'mere," and kisses him, soft and quick on the mouth.
"Okay!" Nick says, brightly, as he catches Brian's hand and tugs both him and AJ toward the door before shoving them both out of the room. "We might be a while, so hang out and we can have lunch later, okay?"
Brian doesn't even blink when Nick shuts the door in their faces. His mouth is still curved in a smile. It takes a while before he turns to look at AJ. "You did pretty good back there," he says, low enough that there's no chance anyone but AJ will hear.
AJ scuffs his toe against the floor, managing a muted laugh and a shrug in response.
A second later, Brian lets out a breath. "Don't give me that. AJ, I thought we were past this. I feel like I should be doing the walk of shame here."
AJ does look up at that. "What?"
Brian folds his arms and leans back against the wall, head cocked. "Nice try," he says, with a faint smile, confused but still working at it. "This is the first time you've looked at me all morning."
"Jesus," AJ says. "You are a girl."
"Shut up," Brian retorts, but he clearly doesn't mean it. He ducks his head, and his still-tousled hair falls into his face. AJ reaches to brush it away, and Brian leans into his touch, cheek brushing the tips of AJ's fingers. He looks up at AJ, hopeful but patient - the same way he's looked at AJ for the past few months now - and AJ feels something come loose in his chest.
They stay like that, breathing, just for a moment. "It's just -- it figures this would be the first time we had sex again, you know?" AJ says, finally, quiet but amused, without any disappointment threaded in his voice. Not a shred.
Brian makes a startled little sound at that, obviously surprised, and AJ rolls his eyes and makes to pull away. But Brian catches his wrist and tugs him back in, shifting closer so their foreheads are touching. "And I'm the girl," he teases, a gentle edge in his voice that sounds something like wonder.
AJ stumbles over his laugh. God, he feels like a blushing fucking virgin. "Shut up," he mutters. "Or I'll burn your breakfast."
Brian starts grinning as AJ starts moving them both in the direction of the kitchen. "You're making me breakfast?"
"Unless you're offering," AJ smirks.
AJ goes inside inside the kitchen first, pulls out pans and starts looking through the cabinets for pancake mix. He's used to this, and Howie, predictably, has kept the kitchen almost as organized as Maria keeps the McLean's. It's unusually silent for a second, and when AJ turns around, Brian's watching him from the doorway, a fond smile tugging at his lips as he leans against the doorframe.
AJ looks back for a second, ducks his head before he starts grinning. "What?" he demands, to his bowl of mix.
"Last night didn't go exactly how I planned it either, you know," Brian says, after a pause. He sounds oddly serious. "But, I mean, the morning after's shaping up pretty well."
It still catches AJ by surprise, sometimes, the way their dynamic's changed. They're... more, now, even though they're still moving slow, and he's learning to be okay with that. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Brian grins, coming round the kitchen counter to press a soft kiss to the corner of AJ's mouth. "Now make me my breakfast, woman."
in sum, nothing in this world can properly describe the win you are made of. no, really. see, you put the awe in the sumsome of my life. (ha! see what i just did there? i so smrt.) so, basically, ILU, METTE! I HOPE YOU HAVE THE BESTEST BIRTHDAY EVER! <3333333