Homecoming....
For idiosyncratic for Jake's birthday, because she asked. Set about 2 years after the events in lotr_speakeasy *g*
Jake hums to himself as he jostles his key into the front door, arms leaden with gaily wrapped packages. It's just a few days until Christmas, and the first Christmas for Maggie and Lawrence's new daughter. Six months old, and already has the entire family wrapped around her pudgy fingers, Jake thinks to himself with a smile, himself included. He'd taken one look into baby blue eyes the same color as his sister's and had fallen irrevocably in love.
Business has also been good enough that he's indulged in buying another thing or two for Mark. Two years together already (when Maggie and Lawrence had gotten hitched, Mark had taken the opportunity to ask Jake to move in with him and his daughter and grandmother - it had taken Jake all of five seconds to enthusiastically respond in the positive), and some days it feels like they've been together forever, and other it feels like there's still so much for him to learn about Mark. He hopes that'll be the case for a long time - a lifetime, if he has his way.
"Mark, it's me!" he calls, when he steps into the foyer and sets the keys on the hall table. A blast of warm air from the cheerfully burning fireplace hits his skin, and he sighs gratefully. It's been a mild enough day, weather-wise, but it's still winter in Chicago.
"In the parlor!" Mark calls, but doesn't come to greet Jake with his usual kiss and to ask him about his day. Jake frowns in confusion as he quickly deposits the presents under the big tree in the front room and heads back to the parlor.
Mark's sitting on one of the sofas, smile of welcome in place, cup of steaming hot coffee in hand, but he's not what has Jake stopping short, breath stuttering to a stop. No, the reason for that is the person sitting across from Mark on the other sofa, dressed to the nines in an impeccable navy suit, a riotous mop of dark curls spilling across a high forehead and into warm eyes that are gazing at Jake in pleasure.
"Hello, Jake."
"Orlando?"
Jake can't believe his eyes. After Orlando had left Chicago for good to return to New York, Jake had never expected to see Orlando here again. Oh, sure, he knows he'll always be family, that they'll always be connected, but he'd never thought Orlando would want to come back to Chicago, with its memories of Josh and everything that had happened after his death. Over the last two years, there have been letters and sometimes a phone call, and they'd all seen each other at Maggie and Lawrence's wedding, but to see him here, in this familiar space...
"I'll leave you two to catch up," Mark says, and stands, still cradling his cup of coffee. "Come by the docks tomorrow, I'll show you around the improvements," he tells Orlando.
"You bet." Orlando also stands and takes Mark's free hand in a firm grip. "And thank you."
"Anytime." And then, while Jake's still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that Orlando's in his house and what exactly Mark and Orlando are talking about, Mark pauses long enough to lean in and brush a kiss to Jake's lips. "Happy birthday," he murmurs, and gives Jake a grin before walking out the door.
Leaving him alone with Orlando.
"Um." His feet feel curiously frozen.
"You don't look very happy to see me," Orlando says. His hands are shoved in his pockets in a familiar gesture as he rocks back on his heels.
"I am," Jake protests, the mild rebuke loosening his tongue. "I'm very happy. Just...surprised."
"Well, I missed your birthday last year. I couldn't do it two in a row."
Jake blinks, unable to believe his ears. "You're here for me? Not business?"
Orlando steps closer, and runs the backs of his fingers across Jake's jaw. The light touch sends shivers down Jake's spine. "Yeah," Orlando says softly, "I'm here for you. You look great."
"So do you," Jake murmurs back. And he does. His eyes no longer have that haunted look to them, he looks like he's eating decently and, best of all to Jake's eyes, he looks well and truly happy. "Where's Kitten?"
"I think he mentioned dropping by to see Cate and Lou and the baby." Orlando pulls his hand away. Jake mourns the loss. "He wanted me to tell you that he's hoping to see you tomorrow."
"That'd be nice...wait, tomorrow?" Jake's eyes narrow. "What's tomorrow?"
Orlando shrugs, but waggles his brows in amusement. "I believe that man of yours is plotting something. But don't tell him I told you."
"I won't." Jake can't help but respond to the smile; then what Orlando said truly hits him. "Wait, why is Mark planning my party for tomorrow? My birthday's today."
Orlando shrugs again, his lips turning upwards into an oddly bashful smile. "Well, I was hoping you'd spend it with me."
"You...you were?" Once again, Jake blinks in shock.
"I've missed you," Orlando says simply. "I was hoping we could catch up with each other."
"I..."
"If you'd rather spend the evening with Mark, I completely understand."
"I..."
"I know I've got no claim on you, not anymore. I just..."
Jake shuts Orlando up the most effective way he knows how. Taking a quick step forward, he presses his lips to Orlando's for a hard, heartfelt kiss. "I'd love to."
Orlando's eyes light up. "You would?"
"Yeah," Jake replies, and now it's his turn to run his fingers across Orlando's forehead and cheeks and throat. "I assume that's what you and Mark were talking about when I got home."
"More or less," Orlando admits. He butts against Jake's fingers, seeking more. "You know I'd never do anything that would make him feel uncomfortable."
"I know. And I love you for that. Among a lot of other things," Jake replies, and this time, the kiss is one of welcome and homecoming, soft and slow and so sweet that Jake's heart aches with it. He's never regretted that he let Orlando go to be with Joaquin, has never once regretted the beautiful life he and Mark have started to make together, but he knows part of his heart will always be Orlando's. Just as part of Orlando's heart will always be Jake's. Luckily for both of them, Mark and Joaquin have always understood and encouraged that.
Orlando keeps his eyes closed when they part, lips pleasantly bruised from Jake's, lashes impossibly long as they fan across the tops of his cheeks. "Mmm...I've missed this."
"So have I." Now that Jake's convinced he's not dreaming, he thinks this might be the best birthday he's ever had.
"I, um, reserved us our suite. At the Drake."
And just like that, Jake is overwhelmed with a jolt of lust so bright it seems he'll burn into cinders. "Did you?"
Orlando nods. "Thought maybe I'd take you to Louisa's for dinner..."
"And back to the suite for dessert?" Jake finishes, with a wicked grin.
"Something like that."
"I think it sounds perfect." Jake hooks his arm through Orlando's, tugs him close. "Louisa's, you say? Think she'll finally consent to marry me? I mean, it is my birthday."
"Birthday or not, you can't steal her," Orlando laughs, and nuzzles the spot just below Jake's ear. "But you can console yourself with me to your heart's content."
Jake shivers, this time from need. "I think that sounds like an acceptable plan."
"I thought you'd agree."
***
Jake hums to himself as he jostles his key into the front door, arms leaden with gaily wrapped packages. It's just a few days until Christmas, and the first Christmas for Maggie and Lawrence's new daughter. Six months old, and already has the entire family wrapped around her pudgy fingers, Jake thinks to himself with a smile, himself included. He'd taken one look into baby blue eyes the same color as his sister's and had fallen irrevocably in love.
Business has also been good enough that he's indulged in buying another thing or two for Mark. Two years together already (when Maggie and Lawrence had gotten hitched, Mark had taken the opportunity to ask Jake to move in with him and his daughter and grandmother - it had taken Jake all of five seconds to enthusiastically respond in the positive), and some days it feels like they've been together forever, and other it feels like there's still so much for him to learn about Mark. He hopes that'll be the case for a long time - a lifetime, if he has his way.
"Mark, it's me!" he calls, when he steps into the foyer and sets the keys on the hall table. A blast of warm air from the cheerfully burning fireplace hits his skin, and he sighs gratefully. It's been a mild enough day, weather-wise, but it's still winter in Chicago.
"In the parlor!" Mark calls, but doesn't come to greet Jake with his usual kiss and to ask him about his day. Jake frowns in confusion as he quickly deposits the presents under the big tree in the front room and heads back to the parlor.
Mark's sitting on one of the sofas, smile of welcome in place, cup of steaming hot coffee in hand, but he's not what has Jake stopping short, breath stuttering to a stop. No, the reason for that is the person sitting across from Mark on the other sofa, dressed to the nines in an impeccable navy suit, a riotous mop of dark curls spilling across a high forehead and into warm eyes that are gazing at Jake in pleasure.
"Hello, Jake."
"Orlando?"
Jake can't believe his eyes. After Orlando had left Chicago for good to return to New York, Jake had never expected to see Orlando here again. Oh, sure, he knows he'll always be family, that they'll always be connected, but he'd never thought Orlando would want to come back to Chicago, with its memories of Josh and everything that had happened after his death. Over the last two years, there have been letters and sometimes a phone call, and they'd all seen each other at Maggie and Lawrence's wedding, but to see him here, in this familiar space...
"I'll leave you two to catch up," Mark says, and stands, still cradling his cup of coffee. "Come by the docks tomorrow, I'll show you around the improvements," he tells Orlando.
"You bet." Orlando also stands and takes Mark's free hand in a firm grip. "And thank you."
"Anytime." And then, while Jake's still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that Orlando's in his house and what exactly Mark and Orlando are talking about, Mark pauses long enough to lean in and brush a kiss to Jake's lips. "Happy birthday," he murmurs, and gives Jake a grin before walking out the door.
Leaving him alone with Orlando.
"Um." His feet feel curiously frozen.
"You don't look very happy to see me," Orlando says. His hands are shoved in his pockets in a familiar gesture as he rocks back on his heels.
"I am," Jake protests, the mild rebuke loosening his tongue. "I'm very happy. Just...surprised."
"Well, I missed your birthday last year. I couldn't do it two in a row."
Jake blinks, unable to believe his ears. "You're here for me? Not business?"
Orlando steps closer, and runs the backs of his fingers across Jake's jaw. The light touch sends shivers down Jake's spine. "Yeah," Orlando says softly, "I'm here for you. You look great."
"So do you," Jake murmurs back. And he does. His eyes no longer have that haunted look to them, he looks like he's eating decently and, best of all to Jake's eyes, he looks well and truly happy. "Where's Kitten?"
"I think he mentioned dropping by to see Cate and Lou and the baby." Orlando pulls his hand away. Jake mourns the loss. "He wanted me to tell you that he's hoping to see you tomorrow."
"That'd be nice...wait, tomorrow?" Jake's eyes narrow. "What's tomorrow?"
Orlando shrugs, but waggles his brows in amusement. "I believe that man of yours is plotting something. But don't tell him I told you."
"I won't." Jake can't help but respond to the smile; then what Orlando said truly hits him. "Wait, why is Mark planning my party for tomorrow? My birthday's today."
Orlando shrugs again, his lips turning upwards into an oddly bashful smile. "Well, I was hoping you'd spend it with me."
"You...you were?" Once again, Jake blinks in shock.
"I've missed you," Orlando says simply. "I was hoping we could catch up with each other."
"I..."
"If you'd rather spend the evening with Mark, I completely understand."
"I..."
"I know I've got no claim on you, not anymore. I just..."
Jake shuts Orlando up the most effective way he knows how. Taking a quick step forward, he presses his lips to Orlando's for a hard, heartfelt kiss. "I'd love to."
Orlando's eyes light up. "You would?"
"Yeah," Jake replies, and now it's his turn to run his fingers across Orlando's forehead and cheeks and throat. "I assume that's what you and Mark were talking about when I got home."
"More or less," Orlando admits. He butts against Jake's fingers, seeking more. "You know I'd never do anything that would make him feel uncomfortable."
"I know. And I love you for that. Among a lot of other things," Jake replies, and this time, the kiss is one of welcome and homecoming, soft and slow and so sweet that Jake's heart aches with it. He's never regretted that he let Orlando go to be with Joaquin, has never once regretted the beautiful life he and Mark have started to make together, but he knows part of his heart will always be Orlando's. Just as part of Orlando's heart will always be Jake's. Luckily for both of them, Mark and Joaquin have always understood and encouraged that.
Orlando keeps his eyes closed when they part, lips pleasantly bruised from Jake's, lashes impossibly long as they fan across the tops of his cheeks. "Mmm...I've missed this."
"So have I." Now that Jake's convinced he's not dreaming, he thinks this might be the best birthday he's ever had.
"I, um, reserved us our suite. At the Drake."
And just like that, Jake is overwhelmed with a jolt of lust so bright it seems he'll burn into cinders. "Did you?"
Orlando nods. "Thought maybe I'd take you to Louisa's for dinner..."
"And back to the suite for dessert?" Jake finishes, with a wicked grin.
"Something like that."
"I think it sounds perfect." Jake hooks his arm through Orlando's, tugs him close. "Louisa's, you say? Think she'll finally consent to marry me? I mean, it is my birthday."
"Birthday or not, you can't steal her," Orlando laughs, and nuzzles the spot just below Jake's ear. "But you can console yourself with me to your heart's content."
Jake shivers, this time from need. "I think that sounds like an acceptable plan."
"I thought you'd agree."
***