24. Jake
“What’s for dinner?”
Jake’s furious chopping slowed to a stop, and he looked up at Riley through blurry, tear-filled eyes. He hated cutting onions because they always had that effect on him, and he hated it even more when Riley chose that moment to harass him, knowing he looked like a sobbing idiot.
“Chili?” Jake asked, unsure if Riley actually didn’t know or if he was just trying to chat. No matter how much time passed, he still couldn’t grasp casual conversation.
Riley’s true motives revealed themselves when he leaned into Jake’s space and tilted his head, boldly placing his lips on the thudding pulse point in Jake’s neck.
Jake went motionless as Riley cautiously wrapped his arms around him and settled against his chest, all while shyly kissing a trail from Jake’s throat to his jaw, making it clear what his intended target was.
Heart pounding, Jake leaned into Riley’s next kiss and let their lips meet.
The familiar sensation sent warmth through him, a reminder of how effortlessly they seemed to fit together.
The four of them had been participating in this slow dance for three weeks now—nervously exploring and figuring out what felt right for who.
Jake didn’t have to think hard about what felt right between him and Riley. They had chemistry in every other aspect of their relationship, so adding romantic gestures came as easily as tying shoes or shooting pucks.
Kissing Riley felt right. Holding him felt right.
Loving him felt right.
And it was love; Jake was convinced of that. He was starting to think he’d been in love with Riley since they were teens, stumbling through first kisses. But back then, it was like there had been a flip that stubbornly refused to switch, no matter how strong their feelings were.
Until now.
Now every light in the house was on, and Jake couldn’t seem to keep his hands off his best friend. All the affectionate touches shared between them turned from comforting to hungry—and all the banter turned to flirting and promises of intimacy that left them both blushing.
Jake had worried at first that he wasn’t normal enough to learn how to love more than one person, but his autism was working with him for once in his life.
There was none of the anxiety that usually came along with having too many people in his space, and as for the emotional aspect, he had overcome that as well.
He loved Riley and Kingston just as much as he loved Allen; he was sure of it. There was no comparing how strongly he felt about them or measuring actions and the time they spent together. Everything was equal—just different.
The way he loved Allen was different from the way he loved Riley. The way he loved Riley was different from the way he loved Kingston. It wasn’t a competition or a race; it was finding a balance that worked, no matter what the outcome looked like.
“Am I boring you?” Riley asked, the sound of his voice startling Jake from his ever-rambling thoughts.
Jake pressed their foreheads together and let out a not-so-subtle sigh of irritation. “I want to touch you, but my hands are covered in onion, and my eyes won’t stop watering.”
Riley hummed, and his gaze flicked downward, but Jake was already distracted by another kiss and the taste of mint on his lips to care about whatever Riley was planning.
This kiss turned from sweet and sensual to needy so fast that it left Jake dizzy, which was enough to distract him when Riley’s hands slid down his stomach to tug at the waistband of his sweats.
“I should have known I was bi when I started having dreams about you fucking me in the locker room.”
Riley’s voice was soft and husky, which meant he probably wasn’t teasing, but Jake still couldn’t tell. It didn’t stop his dick from reacting when Riley moved his hand lower to cup him, or when he leaned up to nibble on his ear.
Groaning, Jake clenched his fists, hating how the urge to wash his hands paralyzed him in this situation. Riley knew it too, which was why he was taking advantage of the moment by keeping Jake pinned against the counter.
“You wanna touch me, Mouse?”
More than anything.
“Too bad we’re taking things slow. I think Kingston and Allen would love watching me go to my knees for you.”
After wiping the floor clean, maybe.
“Watching you cook is so hot. I want to suck your cock while you’re working.”
“That’s not...” Jake paused and bumped their foreheads back together. “I don’t know how you find it hot when I have to wash my hands every five seconds because I don’t like touching stuff.”
Riley’s mouth crept into a smirk, and Jake had a feeling that his admission had the opposite effect on him.
He tried not to grumble when Riley kissed him again and released his now half-hard cock in favour of dragging his hands over his hips. Jake thought Riley was preparing to grab his ass, or something equally embarrassing, but stiffened when one of the hands slipped into his pocket and touched—
“I fucking knew it,” Riley whispered, hissing the words against Jake’s lips. “You can try, but you can never hide anything from me, Mousey.”
Onion hands or not, Jake grabbed onto Riley’s arms tightly, stopping him from pulling the object from his pocket. “Don’t—”
“I won’t,” Riley reassured as he pushed Jake more firmly against the counter. “I knew something was up. You’ve been stimming more than usual, and you keep checking the time. What time are you leaving for your date with Allen? Is that when you’re doing it?”
Jake nodded, shooting a look past Riley’s shoulder to make sure Allen was still distracted with Kingston. His two boys were right where he left them, on the sectional watching a movie—Kingston curled around Allen, who was sitting in his lap.
“I’m going to mess it up,” said Jake, finally voicing the fear he’d been holding in all day. “Proposing is supposed to come from the heart, and I don’t know if I can articulate how I feel.”
Riley held his smile, but Jake could tell he was upset by the way his brows pinched together.
“You’re going to do amazing, so stop doubting yourself.” Riley drew back only so he could pepper Jake’s cheeks with kisses. “I’m so proud of you, man. I can’t wait to hear about it when you get home.”
Jake dropped his gaze, suddenly feeling insecure. “And it doesn’t…change anything between the four of us?”
He didn’t have the strength to look Riley in the eyes, and Riley didn’t force him, but his voice was clear when he spoke.
“Nothing at all. I know marriage is a big thing for you, and I refuse to let you hold back. I don’t think you understand how excited I am about you and Allen getting hitched. It’s literally perfect.”
Jake shrugged out of nervous habit, and Riley chuckled and finally removed his hand from Jake’s pocket.
“Besides, poly marriage isn’t a thing yet, so we would end up pairing off eventually.”
Jake raised his head and met Riley’s gaze, instantly soothed by the kindness in his friend’s eyes.
“It’ll still be the four of us, even if I put a ring on that miserable bastard over there,” Riley added.
That caught Jake’s attention, as did the red blooming on Riley’s face when he realized he was under sudden scrutiny.
“Not for a long time,” Riley whispered quickly. “But you know…eventually if I decide he’s wifey material.”
Jake couldn’t help but think that Kingston was perfect wifey material. He caught onto subtle hints of discomfort just as quickly as Allen—sometimes faster.
It was Kingston who suggested he and Riley should move into the penthouse when it became obvious that the separation bothered Jake.
He had been trying his best not to be clingy and give their new relationship time to breathe, but it was hard for Jake to relax knowing he had other people in other places where he couldn’t immediately check on them.
Allen, who was extremely independent and liked his space, also voiced that he was happier having Kingston and Riley with them, no matter how rushed it felt.
Kingston claimed he’d noticed the whirlwind of anxiety and was happy to decide for them, and they had been cohabitating peacefully since. Kingston kept the place clean, and he was touch-starved, so he was always excited when Jake demanded hugs.
Perfect wifey.
Hopefully Riley’s wifey soon if Jake had anything to say about it.
“Do you want to know my plans?” Jake asked, blinking when Riley immediately shook his head.
“I’ll wait to hear about them once you’re back and you tell us how it went,” said Riley. “If you tell me now, you’ll start doubting yourself and try to change it. It will be amazing no matter what. I’m rooting for you, buddy.”
If Jake could go through with it. He was so nervous about messing up or Allen saying no that he was finding it difficult to summon the courage.
Riley caught onto his mini spiral and held his hands up like he was stopping a charging elephant. “If you don’t do it tonight, I’ll propose to Allen instead. Use that as motivation.”
Jake didn’t believe him, but he was reaching the limit of how long he could let his hands stay sticky, so he had no choice but to agree so he could wash them.
He thought Riley would hang around to torment him, but he narrowed his eyes when he spotted him slinking off to the living room to harass Allen instead. Jake wasn’t fast enough to stop Riley from scooping Allen off Kingston’s lap and stealing him away to the recliner, where no one could touch him.
“Can you assholes stop picking me up? I’m a fully grown adult, thanks.”
Jake locked eyes with Riley from across the room and contemplated his next move. He could try to remove Allen from his newly acquired spot, but that would probably end with him being chastised for hogging his boyfriend.
Thankfully, there was another person in the penthouse who was now sitting alone and looking a little forlorn after his cuddle partner had been stolen away.
Jake dried his hands and prowled into the living room, making sure Riley was watching. Kingston glanced up when Jake stopped beside him, one pale brow arching in confusion as the silence stretched on for a few seconds too long.