Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
OREN
After Simon finished his clay version of a giraffe for Liam, he spent the remainder of his time pestering me.
Use this color, Oren. Maybe try a lighter color there. Oh, maybe add some purple hues to create a contrast in the background. Maybe use a smaller brush to add the detailing. You should also use white there.
Until I exploded, tossing paint from my brush onto his face.
He blinked, stunned for a moment before breaking into laughter.
Simon had done it on purpose to see how long I'd last, and he was surprised by how long I had. Apparently, Thorne was good for my patience, and I rolled my eyes at Simon’s sentiment.
Once he finally calmed the fuck down, I finished, followed by Lev. He drew a raven, and when asked the meaning behind it, a blush crossed his cheeks. I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from grinning.
Supplies all put away, there was nothing left for me to do but get the dogs from Thorne. He’d babysat for the evening, and I knew he had to be over them.
After explaining to Lev and Simon, I exited the art room. I immediately paused, noticing the empty space next to a sleeping Liam.
“That motherfucker,” I muttered, hauling ass up the stairs to our room.
God, he wasn’t supposed to leave the couch. Thorne was beyond upset, and I wanted to honor his wish to keep Matt away until he was ready. I loved Matt, but Thorne was my fiancé, and he would always come first.
Swinging myself upward using the railing, I huffed as my palm greeted the cracked door. “God, Matt, I told you not to come up here.”
Stepping inside, I walked the small hallway into the main area of our room and paused at the scene in front of me.
Matt and Thorne were sprawled out on the bed, Mercy and Prince joining them.
Tucked into his side, Matt’s head rested on Thorne’s chest, and Mercy had wedged herself between both of them, her chin settled on Matt’s shoulder.
Curled up next to Matt’s feet, Prince’s face nuzzled against the comforter, his breathing, for once, soft and steady.
Taking my phone from my pocket, I quietly snapped a few photos as I sniffled.
They needed each other, and I couldn’t contain the happiness from seeing them so close again.
Thorne had missed him endlessly, and I hoped their friendship continued to blossom.
Matt needed him too, more than I think Thorne realized, and I brushed tears from my face.
I glanced at them one last time before leaving, shutting the door behind me as I bounded down the steps. “Simon? Lev?”
“Yeah?” Sitting next to Liam, Simon was brushing through his curls lightly, his boyfriend fast asleep.
Lev craned his head over his shoulder from where he sat on the opposite couch. “Hm?”
“We’re having a sleepover, and don’t try to talk yourselves out of this.” I gestured upstairs. “Matt and Thorne are passed out in the bed, which means we get to have a night of mischief.”
“A… sleepover? What are we, fucking fifteen?” Simon asked.
“What’s a sleepover?” Lev asked, his brow raising in confusion.
Bounding over to Lev, I grabbed both his hands and shook them. “A sleepover is where you stay up really late and gossip, play games, drink, hell, anything really! But you stay here with us, and I’ll make breakfast in the morning. Maybe omelets and cinnamon rolls.”
“You’ve… never had a sleepover?” Simon craned his head to the side, but there was a softness to his gaze at Lev’s confession.
“No?” Lev glanced between us, a saddened smile coating his lips. “I guess… I mean, I never really had friends growing up because my father never allowed it, and then I immediately stepped into his role after I, well, murdered him.”
“Woah, you murdered your dad?” My eyes widened as I squeezed his hands once. “Then we need popcorn, candy, and soda for this. I mean… if you want to tell us.”
“He raped and killed my mother in front of me to prove a point when I was eight. After that, his beatings only got worse. I nearly died twice, once at ten and once at fourteen, because of how far he took things. And…” His throat bobbed as he glanced down at where our hands met.
“I have a traumatic brain injury because of it and am very susceptible to seizures.”
“Lev, I’m so sorry,” Simon said, continuing to run his fingers through Liam’s locks.
“Oh… Oh, Lev, I’m so sorry.” Releasing my grip on his hands, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. “You’ve handled so much alone.”
I expected him to pull away, but when he nuzzled into me and a shuddered breath left him, I realized how much he’d struggled in silence. “I-I take medication… and it helps sometimes… But… my episodes… they… they terrify me…”
Hauling him tighter against me, I rubbed his back. “I get that. Thorne’s episodes terrify him, too, and so do mine. But the one thing I can guarantee is you won’t have to suffer through them alone again. You… You have your friends and Matt—”
“I-I haven’t told Matt… What if he… What if it’s too much…”
I scratched lightly across his spine. “For Matt? Nothing is too much. If anything, he’ll be even more protective of you.”
“Yeah,” Simon added. “Matt’s actually well-versed with seizures, as we had a cadet before you arrived, Oren, who had them. Lev, I’ve never seen that man settle down, or be this fucking happy. You’re it for him, no matter what imperfections you think you have.”
“Mhm. You’re his person, Lev, and he wouldn’t discard you for anything.”
Sniffling, he craned his head to the side, resting it against my stomach. “O-Okay…”
“And you’ve got us, your friends. Though I’m kind of a lot and Simon is too, but Thorne and Liam are pretty level-headed. Matt, too, when he wants to be. Oh, and you have Mercy and Prince!”
Simon scoffed. “The fuck you mean I’m a lot?”
“Who’s the one with paint on their fucking face because they thought it would be ‘fun’ to test my patience?”
Lev chuckled softly, his arms raising to wrap around my waist as he returned my hug. “T-Thank you guys. Seriously. I’ve never… never had something like this before.”
Simon grimaced. “You might regret that statement after—”
“Then we have to do everything together! Well, things you haven’t experienced before, and it starts tonight. I’ll make popcorn, and we can play all kinds of games, or maybe we can do something like truth or dare. Oh, we could also go to the mall and do laser tag sometime—”
“Can we…” He paused as if he were fearful of continuing. “Can we… just watch a movie and maybe… maybe cuddle? Is that weird? I don’t know if that’s weird… It might be, and I’m sorry if it is. I really don’t mean to cross boundaries—”
“Sure!” Twisting my body slightly, I grabbed the remote from Simon as I sat down next to Lev. Tucking my arm around his neck, I pulled the blanket over our legs. “Simon probably won’t since he’ll stay by Liam, but I’m pretty squishy and good cuddling material.”
“You’re classified as squishy?” Lev lifted his head to look at me before poking my stomach. “But you’re not?”
Releasing a soft laugh, I swatted his hand away. “Okay, maybe not squishy, but I’m still comfortable.”
“Dude, you literally have abs.” Simon yawned, settling next to Liam as he gently placed Liam’s head on his lap. Grabbing a blanket, he leaned his head against the cushion. “Stupid argument, so put on a movie.”
Rolling my eyes, I snuggled next to Lev as I turned on the TV, ignoring Simon. “Lev, any requests?”
He settled against my chest. “Whatever you guys want.”
Flipping through to a random comedy movie, I clicked it and started the opening credits. As they rolled, I scratched lightly on Lev’s neck, trailing my fingers through his auburn curls. “Comfy?”
He merely nodded, his breath leveling as he sank deeper into me. Pressing back into the cushions, the corners of my lips tugged upward as I continued playing with his hair. As silence fell among our group, I basked in that silent warmth, because I had everything I needed.
I had Thorne and wonderful friends who loved me. At least for now, we could relax. But I knew one thing about life: something could rip away your happiness at any moment.
That’s why it was important to cherish every second, and I would do that from now on without secrets, without lies, because these people were my home.