“What about me? Tell me more about you.”
“There’s not a lot to tell.”
“Brrrt. Wrong answer. Try again.”
“Fine,” Scotty sighed. “I was born on a cold winter day.”
“Oh my god, you were not. Your birthday is in June.”
Scotty twisted around and propped himself up on his elbow. “You remember my birthday? I always thought I was invisible to you.” He looked giddy, suddenly and Nathan thought it was a good look on him.
He didn’t want to lie to Scotty, especially knowing what he knew about Scotty’s feelings for him but admitting he had been invisible a lot seemed a bridge too far. “You weren’t always invisible.”
“I tried to get people to like me by being like Tod. But sometimes I made it too hard.”
“Now you make other things too hard.”
“You did not just make a dick joke. We’re having a serious conversation here.” Scotty’s admonishment fell short of annoyed and his amusement shone through.
“I couldn’t help it. It was too punny.”
Scotty groaned and flopped down, burying his face against Nathan’s shoulder. “Oh my god, stop.” His shoulder shook with laughter and when he finally stopped laughing, he buried his fingers in Nathan’s hair and kissed him.
“Stay the night.” Scotty begged against his mouth. “Please. I like waking up to you.”
“I’ll stay.” It was the only answer he could give Scotty.
Nathan climbed out of the shower and quickly dried himself off. He went to his laptop which had sat collecting dust since he arrived. He booted it up and hopped onto Skype. After a few minutes, his brother’s face appeared on the screen. Christian was eighteen now, a full decade younger than Nathan, and his life had been completely different. Where Nathan took after their father in height and build, Christian was smaller. He topped out at five foot seven and had always been slender and fragile looking.
Even now, when he’d been on meds that helped his seizures and the dark bags under his eyes had faded a lot, he still looked frail to Nathan.
“Hey fucker.” Christian said, a huge grin on his face.
“Hey squirt.”
“Eat shit, Nathan. What do you want?”
“Nothing. Just thought I’d give your lame ass a call.”
“Shut up.” Christian shot back, still grinning ear to ear. They only pretended to give each other a hard time. In reality, Christian was his best friend as well as his brother and despite the difference in their ages, they had always been close. “So, who’re you fucking?”
“Jesus, Chris.” Nathan balked.
“Well, it’s why you’ve been ignoring me, right? Don’t pretend reruns of Jeopardy are that interesting.”
“I liked you better when you were oblivious.”
“I was never oblivious.”
“Exactly,” Nathan said with a wry expression.
“Seriously. You must be boning someone if you’ve been ignoring me so much. I have no life. You owe me the details.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Okay, so I have a great life, but this isn’t about me. If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell mom.”
“Fine. Fine. It’s Scotty St. James.”
Christian blinked at him for a minute. “St. James as in Tod St. James?”
“The one and only.”
Christian grinned and looked away from Nathan for a minute. He could tell Christian was typing. Christian was quiet for a second, then he must have found what he was looking for because he turned his attention back to Nathan. “He’s hot. I don’t go for the whole lipstick and eyeliner thing, but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.”
Christian had always been open about the fact that he was pansexual. He once credited Nathan with giving him the courage to be who he was right from a young age because he’d grown up watching his brother walk through life unashamed.
“I like him.” The admission lifted a weight off Nathan’s shoulders. He couldn’t talk about this with Tod, who had never expressed an interest in Nathan’s love life. “A lot.”
“Awww,” Christian batted his eyelashes at Nathan. “You’re totally smitten.”
Nathan scoffed. “Smitten?”
Christian rolled his eyes. “Some of us read.”
“You’re lucky I’m not there or I’d kick your ass.”
“Please. I could take you with both arms tied behind my back.”
“He’s great.”
“Is it serious?”
Nathan nodded. His heart warmed when Christian let out a soft, “Awww.”
“Does he know it’s serious?” Christian laughed and ran a hand through his hair, it was something he did when he felt nervous. “Remember the time I liked Tiffany, and we dated, and I was totally in love, but she didn’t feel the same way?”
“That was in the third grade.”
“Hey. It still sucked. Make sure he’s on the same page as you. That’s all I’m saying.”
“According to Tod, Scotty’s had a thing for me for a long time.” Nathan remembered the way Scotty had felt and sounded underneath him last night. The way he’d clung to Nathan and shared himself in a way Nathan would never forget.
“In that case, I’m super happy for Scotty. Unrequited love sucks.”
Nathan furrowed his brow. “You okay?”
Christian waved him off. “I’m fine. It’s boring teenager stuff. You wouldn’t be interested.”
Nathan would, but he could tell when his brother didn’t want to be pushed about something. He changed the subject and they spent the next hour catching up, until Nathan’s phone went nuts.
He glanced at the screen and saw a string of texts from Scotty.
“Okay, that’s disgusting. You’re entirely too happy. I’m going now. Don’t forget I exist again.”
“Dramatic much?”
Christian shrugged. “Maybe I am.” He grinned at Nathan, then ended the call.
Chapter Sixteen
Scotty
Scotty searched his wardrobe for something suitable to wear. He was used to handling scissors and combs, not swinging sledgehammers and he needed something that wasn’t a million percent inappropriate. At the back of his closet he found a much-loved t-shirt. The material had worn thin and it had little holes in the fabric above the hem, as if it had been chewed on by rats. He tugged it on over his head and slipped into an old pair of jeans. They were the kind that came with the legs pre-shredded. Any new rips or tears would blend right in. He shoved his feet into an old pair of running shoes as his phone rang.
“Hey mom. What’s up?”
“Are you coming for brunch today?” Scotty heard the sounds of his family in the background. The scream of kids playing and one of his aunts trying to talk over his mother.
“I was going to help Nathan with his grandpa’s house today.” Nathan had no idea Scotty planned to show up and help him swing a hammer.
“That’s awful kind of you. How about you swing by here first and I’ll have some food packed up for the both of you. Is Reggie there?”
Scotty stood and shoved his keys into his pocket. “He’s staying with friends during the demolition and the bathroom remodel.”
“I’m packing a lunch for you. Oh, did you hear about Linda?”
“No, what about her?” Scotty wasn’t worried because his mom didn’t sound worried. She sounded happy, in fact.
“She’s going to night school. I forget what it is she’s taking. She needs to sort out care for Mason.”
“You tell her to call me and we’ll work something out. Mason is my buddy, I’d be happy to help her out.”
“You’re a sweet boy.”
“Between me and all the cousins, I figure we should be able to work something out so she can go.” Scotty grabbed an old ball cap and slid it on backward. The less dust and crap he had to wash out of his hair the better. “Okay, Mom. I’m on my way out the door now. I’ll be around in a few minutes.”
/>
“I’ll be ready for you.”
It wasn’t ten minutes later when Scotty pulled into his mother’s driveway. He climbed out of his car and went in without knocking. His mom was in the kitchen, busily wrapping things up and stuffing them in a cardboard box.
Scotty walked up to her and gave her a side hug and a kiss on the head. “Is all that for me?”
“Don’t be greedy. It’s for the three of you.”
Scotty furrowed his brow. “Three?”
“Hey.” Tod’s voice caught Scotty’s attention. “Thought I’d come give you guys a hand.”
Scotty bit his tongue and did his best to school his expression. He didn’t want Tod encroaching on his territory, but he imagined that’s how Tod felt, too. Scotty immediately felt ashamed of himself. Nathan wasn’t a toy to be fought over. He was a person and he’d want to see his friend.
Scotty offered his brother a sincere smile. “I’m sure Nathan needs all the help he can get.” Scotty grabbed the box and shot his mom a look. “There’s enough food here to feed six men.”
“So, you’re saying I need to pack more?”
“Don’t you dare.” Scotty laughed. He shot Tod a look. “Are you riding with me?”
“May as well.”
“Sounds good.” Except it didn’t. Scotty tried not to think of Tod as a cock-blocking buzzkill, but it was hard not to. “See you later, Mom. Thanks for the food.”
“Send my love to Nathan.”
“Will do.”
Scotty put the food in the back seat then settled in behind the wheel. It felt like it had been forever since him and Tod were alone together, and the silence was awkward at best. Hostile at worst.
“Do you still play?”
Scotty’s head turned at Tod’s question. “What?”
“Do you still play?”
“Play what?”
“Don’t be stupid, Scotty. Baseball. Basketball. Anything. Do you still play?”
Scotty shook his head. “I don’t have a lot of time. How about you?”
“Closest I’ve been to a game was the batting cages with Nathan.”
“There’s a beer league Kate’s brother plays in. I could get you in, if you wanted.”
“Sure.” Tod’s answer lacked enthusiasm, but Tod never had much to begin with, Scotty told himself. Tod had always been the more stoic one. Even before Scotty came out in his over the top dramatic fashion, he’d been more out there than Tod.
“I’ll see if I can introduce you to him. Maybe I could cut your hair and have Kate conveniently bring her brother in that day. How’s work?”
Tod shrugged a shoulder. “It’s a job.” Tod had worked as an assistant manager in a local department store for the past few years. “Chad, the kiss ass, got the manager position.”
Scotty rolled his eyes. “I hate that guy. Have since high school. He still chew with his mouth open?”
Tod shuddered. “Yes. And he quit smoking, but he chews gum all the time, and you can hear him coming a mile away. But at least he smells like spearmint instead of stale ashtray.”
Scotty wasn’t nervous until he pulled into Reggie’s driveway. He hadn’t been around both Nathan and Tod since the day at brunch, and that had been a little bit disastrous.
Scotty grabbed the box from the back seat and carried it up to the door. He followed a step behind Tod and noted the shocked expression on Nathan’s face when he saw them both standing there. Tod received chest bumping bro hug. Scotty, to his surprise, got more when Nathan reached for the box, but leaned across it and kissed Scotty hello.
“Ugh, so you guys are a thing,” Tod said. Scotty was getting ready to say something when Nathan intervened.
“Coffee is ready, Tod. How about your pour yourself a cup and find a better mood? I’m not putting up with your shit.”
“You kissed my brother, that’s gross,” Tod whined, but Scotty didn’t think he was sincere.
“If you don’t shut up, I’d be happy to tell you all the things I’ve done to him that you’d find gross.”
“Shutting up now.” Tod ruined his coffee, as always, by pouring in a ton of milk and adding what seemed like a cup of sugar.
Nathan tucked the food into the fridge, laughing as he did so. “Your mom is the best. I can’t tell you guys how much I missed her food.”
So, move back. Scotty bit his tongue to keep the words down. He wouldn’t whine and pressure Nathan to moving back here. They were serious, for now, but Scotty knew it could, and might, change.
“We came to help you with the demo.” Scotty adjusted his hat.
“Is that why you look so…”
“Normal?” Scotty arched an eyebrow, but Nathan shook his head. He gave Scotty a look that turned his knees to jelly.
“I was going to say boring.”
“When did you get so smooth?” Scotty’s heart skipped a beat at the thought that Nathan might prefer him the way he preferred himself. Some guys were relieved when Scotty had a day where he reverted to his old style, as if his lipstick and perfume days had been a phase. “I’ll wear something extra nice for you next time for that,” Scotty promised.
“When did you get so sickening?” Tod interjected, earning him a shot to the arm from Nathan. “That hurt.”
“It was supposed to. Just for that, you’re carrying the toilet out.”
“Aw, man. You always give me the shitty jobs.”
Scotty and Nathan groaned at Tod’s weak excuse for a joke, but Scotty grinned regardless. This was nicer than he expected it to be. Even with Tod’s intermittent barbs, Scotty felt like this was something he wanted to have. It had been a long time since Tod had wanted to be around him, and maybe now that he was with Nathan, they could repair their own relationship.
Demo, as it turned out, sucked.
Scotty wiped the sweat from his face with the bottom of his shirt. “They make this look so easy on television. The hot guy swings the hammer a few times, clicks his heels together, and voila, brand new bathroom.”
“They make it look easy, so it drives up the cost of building materials. No one wants to show the part where the bathtub had to be cut in half to get torn out, or the fact that the toilet broke into several pieces spilling residual toilet water when some butter fingers dropped it.”
“It slipped.” Tod said as he returned from the kitchen. He tossed Nathan and Scotty a bottle of water, then cracked his own.
“I could’ve done this on my own, you know. It’s not my first rodeo.”
Scotty leaned against Nathan, who had come to stand next to him. “Yes, but then I wouldn’t get to see you all buff and sweaty. It’s hot.”
Scotty had been bugging Tod all day long by hitting on Nathan. Tod now seemed un-bothered by it which had been Scotty’s goal. But all the flirting, and the sweat, and the physical activity had awoken a hunger in Scotty. He desperately needed Tod to leave, but he knew it wouldn’t happen.
Scotty, did however, indulge himself with turning around and wrapping his sweaty arms around Nathan and moving in for a kiss. He had a million filthy thoughts about how they could get clean later, but he kept them to himself.
“You should’ve told me how fun renovations are.”
Nathan laughed. “We’re covered in dust and sweat, and your shoes got splashed with toilet water.”
“Well, I was hungry.” Tod groused from the sidelines.
“Stop being a baby.” Nathan ordered him.
“Never. If I’ve got to put up with the kissy faces and heart eyes you’ve got to deal with the bitchiness. I’m hungry.”
“We should stop for a break.” Scotty offered. “We can heat up the food and chow down, then finish after.”
“You guys didn’t have to come help, but I’m glad you did.”
Scotty kissed him, and this time Tod didn’t say a word. “Me too.”
Chapter Seventeen
Nathan
By the time the first sledgehammer swung, the ice unthawed a bit between Tod and Scotty. That the br
others made an effort with each other meant a lot to Nathan. He didn’t want to lose either of them, and keeping them would be a lot easier to accomplish if they were able to get along. Nathan also didn’t want to be the thing that got between them.
After they’d devoured the lunch and packed the leftovers away, Tod started taking the debris out to the truck. Scotty took the opportunity to slide his arms around Nathan’s waist.
“You’re totally hot, today.”
“Yeah?” Scotty kept a bit of distance between them, but that didn’t stop Nathan from feeling the want radiate off him. “We could send Tod on an errand.”
Nathan shook his head. “You’re shameless. We can’t do that.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Come on, Romeo, back to work.”
“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” Scotty quoted. He pulled Nathan into a brief, but passionate kiss. “If you’re going to name me after a dude from a famous story, the least you could do is pick one with a happy ending. Did you know there’s Romeo and Juliet fanfiction on the internet?” Scotty asked.
“No, but it doesn’t surprise me. People have wanted Romeo and Juliet to live happily ever after for centuries.”
“It’s not just Romeo and Juliet. There’s a Mercutio and Romeo one that I liked. Oh, and there was one about Mercutio and Tybalt.”
“Mercutio seems to be popular.”
“Please,” Scotty rolled his eyes. “If you didn’t want to be him, you wanted to fuck him.”
“I didn’t know you were so familiar with Shakespeare.”
“I did more in school than play with balls.” Scotty winked and gestured toward the torn-up bathroom. “It’s not my fault that’s what people noticed about me. Come on, let’s get back at it.”
“Eager, are we?”
“Every inch of me is covered in dust. I think I have it down the crack of my ass. It’s feels like I’m trying to exfoliate my hole. I want this done so I can shower.” Scotty looked at Nathan over his shoulder. His face was painted with mischief. “Maybe you can help me?”
The Sweetest Thing: The Blackburn Brothers Duet Book 1 Page 10