Chapter 31
KYLEN
I forgot that the shirt I’m wearing under the good boy hoodie is Arek’s ‘Gay the pray away’ tee. This is what happens when I have an obsession with wearing his clothes. I end up stuck in something that I wouldn’t normally wear in front of my family.
Not because they’ll find it offensive, but because… it demands far too much attention.
The car ride is spent talking about our families. We take turns telling Arek about our neighborhood and our extended/chosen family, and he tells us about the Van Doren Estate, where everyone is family.
While I think he glossed over the triplets, I think what he was saying is along the same lines as our twin dads. Two of his triplet uncles are… together? Like our dads are together?
It’s not something we stopped on for long. Or at all, really. It was enough that we maybe have a shared understanding, all of us saying the same thing without saying it out loud.
As we turn down the street into our cul-de-sac, I point at the first house we pass. “That’s Sparrow’s house,” I tell him. “River.”
Arek’s interest is immediate, but then he frowns. “I didn’t bring my molding kit.”
“Hey, you remember the hot couple on Confessions—Finn and Len?” Kole asks, once more leaning forward. “They had some really hot repeats. Finn was a huge hit all on his own as he dominated his partners, but then Len became his partner and flipped the tables. You could feel their tension.”
Arek glances back at her. “Yes, I think their videos still do pretty well. Not as well as River’s but decent.”
“Decent enough that you might want their dicks, too?” Kole asks as she once again leans between our seats as I point Arek to the house beside Nolan’s parents’ mansion. Arek stares at it, distracted, as he nods. “Well, good news. You’ll probably meet them at some point this visit, too.”
Arek puts the car in park and looks at Kole. “Oh? More cousins?”
“Nolan’s cousins. Not ours. “Elijah, aka Len, is one of the hockey uncle’s sons. His partner, Edin, aka Finn, is his husband and a pro hockey player now. Though you’ll need to catch them alone since they have a twelve-year-old daughter.”
Arek looks perplexed. “Those videos are only a handful of years old.”
“Yes, well. Some teenagers have accidental pregnancies,” Kole says, pushing her door open.
“Ah. Good thing I’m gay and don’t have to worry about that. Even though I don’t pull out.”
I cover my face with my hands to hide my heat. Fuck’s sake. Arek’s amusement at my reaction is not surprising. He tugs me toward him and kisses my temple.
It’s just past seven and while all we did was drive all day, I’m exhausted. Who says being a passenger princess isn’t draining? They’re fucking wrong.
Kole leaves the back passenger door open, and Arek takes our bags. I don’t bother trying to get my suitcase from him. I know which battles to fight, and this isn’t one I’m going to win.
Our house is big, but since it’s sitting beside an actual McMansion, it feels like it’s tiny. Not as tiny as some of the other houses in the cul-de-sac, but small all the same. Just as we’re stepping up to the door, a horn blares behind us, making Arek and me turn.
I recognize the truck as Coach Tavis’. Nolan’s window is rolling down as he grins at us.
“Kylen! Bringing your boyfriend home. I love this for all of us.”
No, I don’t blush. I glare instead. The heat in my cheeks has nothing to do with blushing and everything to do with glaring.
The truck pulls in next door, and Nolan hops out. He crosses the yard and wraps me in a one-armed hug. “Seriously, though, I do love that you brought Arek home. I’m happy for you, Ky.”
“Okay, I forgive your sarcasm earlier.” I hug him loosely for a minute.
“It wasn’t sarcasm. It was teasing. I also meant it because our sweet little Kylen is going to get a ton of attention.” He pinches my cheek, and I shove him away.
“Asshole,” I hiss.
“Welcome home, Nolan.”
I turn at my dad’s voice and find Daddy Quin standing in the door. Nolan slips between Arek and me to give my dad a hug. “Hi, Unc. You buy any more property around here while we were gone?”
“I did. Finally got the derelict farm to sell. I’m hoping to save some of the structures.”
“Barnaminiums?” Nolan asks.
“That’s the idea.”
“You’re not going to flip and resell, are you?” I ask.
“Not a chance. Purchasing that property means I now own all the land surrounding our neighborhood. It was the last piece of the puzzle I needed.” He grips the back of my neck and brings me in for a hug.
“So you’re done buying the city up?” Nolan asks.
Dad grins. “Not a chance.”
“He’s hoping to buy the entire town of Sun Haven before we die,” my dad Simon says. I hear his voice before I see his face poke over Daddy Quin’s shoulder. He’s slightly shorter than Daddy Quin, so I can’t see his smile, but I can see it in the way the corners of his eyes crinkle.
Nolan flashes my dad Simon a smile. “We’ll be over tomorrow for breakfast. Love you.”
“Love you too,” both of my dads say as Nolan taps Arek on the chest, a wide, amused smile pointed at his ‘Sometimes you just want to be railed at a truck stop’ hoodie. I flush, feeling the way my skin burns hot. Oh my god! I swear he was wearing a different tee. When did he even put that hoodie on?
Kole has already disappeared inside, so I’m left standing on the front porch with Arek and two of my six dads. The two most laid-back dads, at least.
“This is Arek,” I introduce. “Daddy Quin and Dad Simon behind him.”
Arek accepts my Daddy Quin’s proffered hand. “Hello,” he greets.
“We’re happy to have you for the holidays,” Daddy Quin says. “Your parents didn’t mind?”
“They minded very much,” Arek says. “I’m going to be harassed a lot over the next few days when my family all realize I’m not there.”
“It’s very kind of you to come home with Kylen anyway. I think it would break our hearts if our baby boy wasn’t home for Christmas,” Dad Simon says.
I sigh because I know that I’m constantly going to be red while we’re home. This isn’t new, and yet, I still feel sarcastically shocked that I’m so damn easily flustered.
Arek wraps his arm around my waist, and I duck my head.
My flush is twofold now. Because he’s holding me and I always love him holding me, but also because my family sees it.
It’s not just embarrassment. I’m the farthest from embarrassed by Arek as one could possibly be. I’m just… self-conscious in general.
“Come in,” Daddy Quin says with an approving smile for us. He backs inside the door, taking Dad Simon in his arms, much like Arek has me.
It’s the first time I’ve seen the resemblance, and for a minute, I’m breathless.
Maybe I’m so head over heels for Arek because he embodies the love I’ve witnessed my entire life growing up.
The quiet, sweet love that Daddy Quin and Dad Simon share with each other and everyone else.
He also has the possessive kind of love that my twin dads are known for.
A jealous love like Dad Zarek. And an endless well of love, like my dad Sage, who wants to be cuddled and hugged all the time.
He embodies all my dads, and yet, he’s entirely different. He expresses love in the same way, but also loudly different. A brand of love that’s all his own.
I’m always thankful that I don’t have a lot of siblings like Nolan. He thrives in crowds, but I don’t. Six dads is already a crowd, so I’m always relieved when there’s relative peace at home since it’s just us three kids. Two today because Lathan isn’t home yet.
Four sets of eyes turn in our direction as I lead Arek into the kitchen, where the rest of my family is.
Kole is sitting on the counter with a candy cane in her hand, back to us.
Just as she used to when we were kids. She looks up and the sparkle in her eyes says she loves that she’s still that little girl.
Our dads are quiet as I bring Arek in. Despite them being my fathers and knowing that Arek has a very large family and is therefore used to crowds much larger than this, I feel like there are a hundred people looking at us.
“That’s my dad Sage,” I say, pointing at my dad standing beside Kole. He smiles big and waves. Slightly behind him is Dad Damon, and I say so. Behind the counter are my other two dads, and I introduce them. “This is Arek Van Doren.”
“You know, I always thought Kole would bring home a Van Doren. The perfect partner to take over the world,” Dad Declan says.
Arek shakes his head. “My cousin already has that role in her sights,” he says. “Sorry, Kole, you’re runner-up.”
Kole sniffs. “Not until the crown is placed.”
“I suppose her already holding the crown in her hands doesn’t count?” he asks.
“Nope,” Kole says, popping the P. Then her eyes narrow on Arek. “Which cousin is this?”
“Grey. Granddad Jalon’s daughter.”
“Ah,” several of my fathers say.
“I’ve seen her on television recently,” Dad Zarek says. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she takes over the world.” He pats Kole’s leg in consolation. As if she’s already lost a race she hasn’t even begun.
Kole scowls at Arek, and I can’t hide my amusement entirely.
“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” Dad Sage says. “Why is Lathan not coming home until tomorrow evening?”
“Yes!” Kole demands. “I want that answer too.”
“Now’s your chance to drop your bags in your room,” Dad Simon says with his hand on my shoulder. “Get freshened up, and we’ll have dinner.”
I nod and take Arek’s hand to lead him away from the riot that’s slowly brewing in the kitchen. I’m willing to bet that they’re going to end up calling Lathan. Probably a video call. I kind of want to be there when he answers. Or doesn’t answer.
Our house is split into two sections. The first floor is all family space with three bedrooms—one for each of us kids.
The upstairs is Dad space—four bedrooms. One for each couple and one that they share.
Admittedly, I haven’t been up there in years, but the last time I was, I was maybe fourteen, and my dads Zarek and Declan had a swing hanging from their ceiling.
Not a play swing, which I’d mistakenly thought it was when I saw it. But an adult swing, used for... activities. That’s when my eyes were opened to life beyond my innocent childhood.
It’s also the beginning of an understanding that what happened in fifth grade was not okay, nor approved by my parents.
My room looks just as I left it, though the bed is made.
I set my backpack on the desk chair, and Arek sets our luggage to the side as he studies my room.
My cheeks pinken because I’ve spent my entire twenty-one years in this room.
It has a picture on my wall that was hung when I was seven and hasn’t moved.
There are painted stripes down one wall—a style that had been all the fad way back when.
Hell, even my pillowcase peeking out of my deep purple comforter is cartoon cats.
Oh my god. This is awful.
“I like your room,” Arek says.
“Right. It’s… the room of a child.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “I imagine that everyone’s childhood home has things that remain there throughout their entire lives.”
“Do you?”
Arek hums. “Our room still has our big rug running down the center with the track for cars to run along.”
“You share a room with your twin?” I ask.
“With all my siblings. It’s a very large room, and we have those room dividers for privacy, but we never wanted separate rooms, so our parents took down all the walls in the rooms that were already divided to create our dorm-like space.”
“You’re really close with your brother and sisters,” I comment.
“It got a little awkward when Orev or I wanted to jerk off,” he says flippantly. “Our sisters did not like sharing a room then.”
I laugh, scrunching my face. “Oh my god. I can’t imagine.”
Arek’s hands land on my hips, and he pulls me against him, his lips brushing mine softly.
“To be honest, it’s one of those areas that neither of us realized was inappropriate to share with our sisters.
Nothing is innately inappropriate for Orev and me, so…
it took some learning. That was probably the first true boundary we had to learn to respect, and the first time we truly ran into a situation where consent was mandatory. ”
“It sounds like your childhood was really difficult. In those ways, I mean.”
“I don’t know.” Arek shrugs. “I don’t find that life is any different now. I understand what boundaries and consent mean. I understand how important they are and that they’re non-negotiable. Do I understand their necessity on a fundamental level? Eh.”
“You don’t have any personal, non-negotiable boundaries?”
“In my life, there’s an exception to every rule.”
“Oh yeah? I feel like you’re a little too possessive to mean that.”
Arek grins, and it makes chills run down my spine. “We’ll see.”
His mouth closes over mine, and if there was a statement of possessiveness, this kiss is it.
I’m not sure I believe that there’s an exception.
One of the very first things he ever really said to me was that if someone else touches me, he’ll kill them.
Those aren’t the words of someone who has an exception to that rule.
“Tonight, I’m fucking you in your childhood bed,” Arek says.
Heat floods my body. It’s a loud war between horror and excitement. “I’m not sure the walls are insulated enough for that.”
“Guess you’re going to need to learn to be quiet then. Aren’t you, little kit?”
I whimper. Oh, god. Tomorrow is going to be humiliating. I’m not going to be able to look my parents in the eye. At least tomorrow, Lathan will be here, and everyone will be distracted as they demand to know what was so important that he couldn’t be here the day before Christmas Eve.