Vadim
I crack open the door and look out from the en suite into my bedroom. No sign of Preston. That's okay. I know he'll show. A deal's a deal, after all, and he's not the type of guy to back out of something he agreed to. I brush my teeth, leaving the en suite door wide open.
I really needed that massage. It's been a stressful few days, er, weeks, er…while, and I guess I've been carrying it around with me more than I realized.
And that release at the end was nice, too. I haven't come once the entire time he's been living with me, and I guess that pressure had been building, too.
"You decent in there?" Preston's voice drifts into the en suite from the hallway outside my bedroom.
I spit toothpaste into the sink. "For once, yes," I yell back.
As I rinse with mouthwash, I also recommit to my pledge of no more jokes. I peaked with 'ass for dick.' No way I'm ever topping that, so what's the point in trying?
I take in my reflection in the mirror. I'm in black sleep pants and a black T-shirt, both slightly too loose now, the shirt creased from sitting in the back of a drawer.
I haven't worn these in years since I normally sleep naked, but I promised Preston nothing sexual, and sleeping naked could all too easily lead to me being all too tempted to break that promise.
Flicking the bathroom light off behind me, I step out into the bedroom.
The first thing I notice is that the lighting is different. Preston's turned off the overhead lights, and there's just the yellow glow of the two bedside lamps.
The second thing I notice is Preston sitting gingerly on one side of the bed.
"Hey."
He looks up and manages a faint smile. "Hey."
I walk over and sit down next to him. "You okay?"
"Yeah."
He's not very convincing, and I think I might know the reason. "Listen, if this is too much, we don't have to do it."
"A deal's a deal though."
I knew he'd say that. A sense of satisfaction courses through me, but I push that feeling aside since this isn't about me being able to predict his response.
He's been hurt before. I may not know the specifics, but it's enough for me to understand I need to tread carefully. Respectfully. I place my hand on his knee. He's wearing sleep shorts, vintage-y of course, faded burgundy with a worn elastic waistband, and an oversized cream tee.
"We don't have to go through with it. If you're looking for an out, Pres, I'm giving it to you right now."
He lifts his head and looks me straight in the eye.
Must be something to do with the low lighting, but he looks…
fragile. I wonder if he's thinking about the thing that happened to him.
I'd like for him to open up to me about it, but more than that, I want him to feel safe with me.
I want him to believe it with every bone in his body.
He cradles my cheek with one hand, his eyes darting around my face like he's trying to soak in every last detail. "I don't want an out. I trust you, Vadim." He blinks a few times then a wider smile touches his lips.
I match his smile. "I'm happy to hear that. And I promise, no funny business."
He turns away, chewing on his bottom lip. A few seconds tick by. "What about snuggles?"
"What about them?"
"Nothing."
"No. It's something. Spill."
"Well, I might like them…" He pauses as he draws in an audible breath. "Do you?"
To be perfectly honest, I've never had someone stay the night, so I actually don't know if I like them or not. But something tells me I will with Preston.
"I do." I keep my voice low and steady. "And of course, I'll let you dictate the terms."
He turns back to me. "That's giving me a lot of power."
I smile again…or maybe I haven't stopped smiling. Who knows? I can barely believe this is happening, that I've got this incredible guy in my bed and I'm wanting to spend the night with him sleeping, snuggling, and nothing more.
"That's because I trust you," I say.
The words sound foreign even to my own ears. The only people I fully trust are my family, but that's a given, something that's implied and expected but never said aloud. And even though I have love for my family, I don't necessarily like them.
But I like Preston.
A lot.
He gives a small nod. "Just in case you were wondering, I won't repeat anything that we've talked about these past few days to anyone. What happens in Reno, stays in Reno."
He rolls his eyes at the end, and it takes his cuteness to a whole other level.
"I appreciate that. Thank you. Are you ready to sleep?"
He nods again. "I am."
"Good."
We both get up, and I walk over to what will be my side of the bed for tonight. He's already slipped in under the covers by the time I get in. I make a show of moving my pillows toward my side, giving him some space.
He spots it and smiles, tugging my pillows back toward the middle. Then he brings his to mine so that the edges touch and rolls onto his side, facing away from me.
After a few moments, he cranes his head over his shoulder. "You sleep vertically or something?"
I chuckle. "I don't. I was waiting for you to get settled."
"I'm settled." He inches back toward me. "And ready for snuggles."
"Alright then."
I get in under the covers and shift toward him, closing the space between us until my chest meets his back, and my top arm finds its way around him. He pushes his back against me, settling into it like it's something we've done before.
There's an involuntary movement below my waist. I decide to nip it in the bud so it doesn't become a thing.
"Uh, listen—"
"It's okay. I get it," Preston interrupts. "Physiological responses are perfectly natural. You don't have to worry about that."
"Good. Because I don't want you to get the wrong idea."
He lets out a small laugh, turning his head so our eyes meet. "After tonight?"
"That was earlier. This is now. I fully intend on respecting your boundaries. I can't say the same for my cock."
"It's cool, but thank you for saying that." He flips back over. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight. Wait."
"What is it?"
"I believe I have one question left. From our game before."
"Oh, yeah, you do. What is it?"
"I don't know." I readjust, pulling him closer into my chest. "Can I take a raincheck?"
"You can."
"Good."
And with that, Preston drifts off to sleep.
It takes me a bit longer, my thoughts zigzagging between how nice it's been having Preston here these past few days, how I'm going to miss him once he leaves, and the plans I've been making to keep him safe in the future.
Once I drop him off at his place tomorrow, I won't be able to monitor him twenty-four-seven myself, but I can, and will, put appropriate measures in place.
I feel uneasy about that. I'm going to have to rely on other people to ensure his safety, and there are only a handful of people I trust enough with that task.
As much as I'd like to, I can't keep him hostage here with me.
He needs to go back to living his normal life.
It's my job to make sure that life is free from violence.
So while a team surveils and protects Preston, I'm going to handle Farkas, once and for all.
Letting out a yawn into the back of Preston's hair, a wave of drowsiness hits.
I'd love to roll over since I normally sleep on my other side, but there's no way to do that without letting Preston go, and I'm not prepared to do that just yet.
I'm sure he'll move at some stage during the night, and then I'll be free to turn over.
With another yawn, my eyes get heavy, and I drift off to sleep, too.
I'm woken up by an excruciating pain in my shoulder.
It takes me a moment to register Preston's presence. He's lying in the exact same spot, in the exact same position, he was when he fell asleep.
He hasn't moved.
Which means, I haven't moved.
Which means, my left shoulder rotator cuff is burning like a motherfucker. Snuggling is nice and all, but man, it hurts.
I slide my arm out from under him, unable to prevent a small hiss escaping out the side of my mouth, and slip out of the bed. Preston stirs, but I pull the cover up to his neck, watching for a few breaths as he continues sleeping.
Relieved I haven't woken him up, I head to the en suite, rolling my shoulder as I go and letting fly with a string of expletives entirely in my head.
After taking care of my morning business, I walk into my wardrobe and throw on some sweats and a shirt. I take a look around. Preston's right, everything I have to wear is black.
In the kitchen, I throw on a pot of coffee and sit at the island with my laptop. Waiting for the coffee to brew, I revise Preston's security plan, which I'll discuss with him this morning. I have a feeling this is going to be a harder sell than getting him to show me his ass. But I have to do it.
Coffee done, I fill my mug and wander around aimlessly for a bit.
I'll make a start on breakfast soon, but there's an energy buzzing within me I don't know what to do with.
I sink onto the couch, pull out my phone, and open an app I haven't logged into for a while.
Signal. It's like WhatsApp but more secure.
There are only a handful of chats here. I click on the one that's named bro-ligarchy.
It's a collection of first-gen nepo babies like me.
Three guys I've crossed paths with at galas, grand openings, private events, the kind of high roller circles my family moves in.
The four of us are bound together by something other than our privilege though.
We all fit somewhere on the rainbow spectrum, we're all just at different stages of figuring that out.
There's Takeshi Tanaka (TT), grandson of the man who started Tokyo's largest semiconductor company at the height of Japan's economic boom.
Dunlop Palmer (DP), whose family is one of the, if not the, biggest real estate developers in Australia. He's the only one of us in a committed relationship, so of course, he's the self-appointed expert.