Chapter 6
SIX
Secretly dating Branson Cross, while also doing his best to help Linus cope with his new reality, was a lot easier than Tarius expected.
Partly, because Linus was getting excellent support from his family and friends.
And partly, because Tarius was known to be a workaholic, so Dad and Liam never bothered asking where he was if he didn’t come home until late.
He didn’t sleep over with Branson, even though he’d been tempted several times.
If he didn’t come home at all, then Dad would ask why.
And since Tarius wouldn’t just be crashing with a friend anymore, but with his secret boyfriend, Tarius didn’t want to put himself in the position to lie to his sire.
Not that Dad was oblivious to something going on, but his attention was heavily focused on Linus.
Linus’s recovery was nothing short of breathtaking, and Tarius was beyond thrilled when Linus and Miko announced they felt the mating bond. It didn’t surprise him in the least. The pair just…made sense. The same way Peyton and Layne had made sense.
Tarius was looking forward to the upcoming Gala like crazy.
He and Branson still hadn’t said anything about their relationship to their family or friends, but tomorrow was the night.
They’d show up together, dance together, openly be a couple together.
He’d already picked out his best suit, shirt, and tie.
Since Dad had texted and asked Tarius to come home for a family dinner that evening, Tarius pulled up at the curb around six.
Demir’s car in the driveway surprised the crap of out of him, since Demir rarely had free time during the work week.
He grinned his entire walk across the lawn to the front porch, curious if his brother’s husbands were here for dinner, too.
Nope, only Demir at the table with Dad, Liam, Linus, Miko, and what looked like a premade pot pie. Demir explained he’d basically been forced to take paid leave before it vanished. Tarius loved the idea of seeing his oldest younger brother more over the weekend.
Everyone at the table was subdued, which wasn’t entirely unusual lately. They mostly chatted about the Gala, and at seven, everyone began clearing the table. Tarius didn’t sense anything particularly odd, until the front door opened and Aven walked inside.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” Tarius asked.
“I’m not sure,” Aven replied. “Demir texted and asked me to come over at seven.”
“Yeah, hey, guys.” Demir waved Aven into the dining room. “I want to talk to you both about something that I already spoke to Linus and Dad about.”
“What about Liam and Layne?”
“Liam knows. I’m having breakfast with Layne tomorrow. But you guys are my big brothers, and it’s time to rip off the bandage, so to speak.”
Tarius did not like the quaver in Demir’s voice. “About what?”
Demir took their hands and pulled them into the living room, which was somehow empty. He sat on the middle couch cushion and pulled them down with him. Tarius met Aven’s curious, worried gaze briefly, before re-focusing on Demir.
“What’s going on, brother?” Aven asked. “Are you and Brandt and Oliver okay?”
“Yes, we are amazing,” Demir replied immediately. “This is, um, actually about why I wasn’t at Linus’s last university game. I didn’t flake because I’m an asshole, and Linus and I had a really good talk earlier.”
“I’m assuming you talked about why you didn’t make the game?” Tarius asked.
“Spot on, counselor.” Demir sighed. “I meant to go. I wanted to go. I planned to go. But I got a last-minute appointment that evening for an excision biopsy. I didn’t have to wait three more weeks to know if a mole on my shoulder was benign or melanoma skin cancer.”
A wave of nausea sent Tarius’s stomach rolling to his feet.
“Skin cancer?” Aven asked. “Demir?”
“It wasn’t cancerous.” Demir squeezed both of their hands. “I’ve got a little scar, that’s all. But it was the night of Linus’s game, and I was so upset about the excision that I just went home to my men. I forgot until you called, Tarius, to tell me about the big win.”
“Fuck.” Tarius had no idea Demir was dealing with something so serious when he left that message. “You were handling all that alone?”
“I wasn’t alone. I had Oliver and Brandt to support me.”
“But not—” Tarius bit back his instinct to say, “not your family,” because Brandt and Oliver were as much family to Demir as his biological siblings.
Sometimes, the more conservative views Tarius had been raised with reared their ugly heads, and he was always trying to do better.
To be better. “You didn’t even tell Dad? ”
“Not until today. Well, he overheard me when I told Linus. The mole wasn’t cancerous, so I wanted everyone’s attention to be on Linus and his recovery, not on coddling me over a weird mole.”
“Dude,” Aven said. “Dude, you had a cancer scare. Be selfish for fucking once.”
“Dude, then I’d have to change my entire personality.”
Tarius tugged Demir into his arms and hugged him tight, angry and scared and so grateful that his brother was okay. “Thank you for telling us. I hate that you went through it at all.”
“Thanks.” Demir pulled back then kissed his cheek. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever tell you guys, but then everything with Linus…I always want to be as honest as possible with my family. I didn’t do that when I first started dating Brandt and…well, Dad punched him.”
“But he hasn’t punched him again in seventeen years,” Aven said.
“True. Dad’s mellowed a lot. He understands that love comes in lots of shapes and forms that don’t always adhere to societal norms.” He tossed Tarius a curious glance but didn’t continue the thought. “It’s been a long two months, but hopefully we’re done with intense drama for a while.”
“Forever,” Tarius said. “Our family has had enough.”
“We have, and I’m thrilled that Linus has Miko. I just wish you’d find someone.”
“Who says I haven’t?”
“You, you jerk.” Demir poked him in the chest. “Are you dating someone? Finally?”
“Who can say?”
“You can say,” Aven retorted.
Tarius laughed. “I could say, but we aren’t telling people until the Gala tomorrow night.”
“So, whoever walks in on your arm is who you’re finally dating?”
“Yep.”
“I am intrigued, and since Yosef and I weren’t planning on attending the Gala, we will now be buying tickets at the door.”
“You could save money and wait until people start texting you.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
They all laughed and hugged. Hugged for a long time. Because they were brothers, and they would always be united, no matter the battle ahead.
Branson didn’t get nervous about a lot of things anymore, not after the rollercoaster his life had been the last couple of years.
He was confident in his work and his ability to master any computer software thrown his way, and he loved developing apps that made mobile phones more accessible for folks with disabilities.
No, he was nervous about his date with Tarius.
Not because they hadn’t gone out together before—usually to quiet restaurants their own families didn’t frequent, or to do simple things like browse a bookstore.
They were both big readers and book nerds, even if their reading tastes differed a lot.
Tonight’s Gala date was them coming out as a couple to their families.
Demir and Aven knew that whoever Tarius showed up with was the guy he was dating, and Branson would be surprised if they hadn’t leaked it to the rest of the combined Higgs and Lars-Higgs clans.
Branson had mad respect for all those men, and he still found Chief Constable Brandt Lars-Higgs a little intimidating.
Okay, a lot intimidating.
The Gala was a formal event, but Branson disliked tuxedos, so he and Tarius coordinated black slacks with button-down shirts and matching ties.
Branson had chosen emerald green to match his eyes and a simple black tie.
When Tarius rang his apartment’s doorbell to pick him up, his unzipped his winter coat showed off a dark purple shirt and tie with multiple shimmering colors.
It was a bolder look than he was used to seeing on Tarius, and he liked it.
A lot.
He greeted his boyfriend with a long kiss. “You look amazing.”
Tarius gave him an obvious once-over. “You look pretty amazing yourself.”
“Thank you.” Branson slipped his hand into Tarius’s and squeezed. “Is it weird that I’m nervous?”
“Not at all. This is a big step for us both. But I am very proud to walk into the hotel with you on my arm.”
“Me too.”
Which is exactly what they did twenty minutes later.
The Winter Solstice Gala was held every year at the Hotel De Fontaine, the oldest and most elegant hotel in Sansbury.
They strode inside together, Branson’s arm looped through Tarius’s, and the first familiar faces he saw outside the main ballroom were Branson’s parents.
Dad’s eyes lit up immediately, while Papa simply stared, which surprised Branson.
That was the exact opposite of the reactions he’d expected.
“You both look handsome this evening,” Dad said. “Tarius, it’s wonderful to see you, and to see you so close to our son.”
“Your son is very important to me, Mr. Kell,” Tarius replied.
“And you must be to him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Branson show up to an event with a date. You make a very handsome couple.” Dad’s final comment was almost a question.
“I think so, too,” Branson said. “It’s been a slow thing, but we’re very happy together.”
“Good. I’m thrilled for you.” Dad gave Branson a firm hug.
After releasing his omegin, Branson turned a curious smile to Papa, who very calmly said, “He’s a lot older than you.”
For some reason, Papa’s delivery made Branson laugh. “Yeah, but I like him anyway. He gets me, Papa, in ways no one else ever has.”
Papa’s warm smile said everything. “Then I’m thrilled for you, son. For both of you.”