Chapter 28 #2
Eddie and Jackson burst into laughter, Hakeem’s blush deepens. “Wait. Are you telling me the last guy you hooked up with, instead of dating you introduced him to his future husband?” Jackson asks breathlessly.
“Not on purpose!” Argues Hakeem.
“That is the oddest yet cutest meet cute story I have ever heard, Hakeem,” replies Eddie.
Hakeem joins them in laughter, admitting the unlikeliness of the scenario. “It really was awkward to receive an invitation, but they both looked so handsome on their wedding day. Nour and Mazen got a laugh out of that story for a year. Back to the topic at hand, I want to give this a try too.”
“So do I,” says Eddie as he pulls them both in to kiss them on the top of their heads.
“So,” Jackson regards them both, drawing out the vowel. “I guess we’re dating now, huh?”
Hakeem leans over to give Jackson a quick peck on the lips, “I guess so,” as he reaches up to kiss Eddie’s cheek as well.
Eddie gives their shoulders a squeeze, a gratified smile plastered on his face, “This might be the best spring solstice ever.”
“Agreed,” both men reply in unison.
Jackson’s phone buzzes. Wendy seems to have ceased her partying to message him.
“Where have you run off too? You better not have ditched the ball.”
Jackson chuckles down at the message with a roll of his eyes, “Wendy thinks I’ve ditched. Shall we take a celebratory selfie to prove her wrong?”
Both men giggle as they scooch in closer. “You know she’s going to cause a scene when she sees the photo, right?” Asks Eddie.
“Is it bad I’m counting on it?”
The group takes a photo on Jackson’s phone, which he promptly sends with the caption: “Getting some air with my new boyfriends.”
The briefest of moments passes by before a shrill squeal pierces through the air of Castle Primavera. “JACKSON NOCTURNE, YOU SCOUNDREL!”
Jackson huffs in mock offense, “How rude. As if I’m the only one involved in our odd trio.”
Hakeem yawns, exhaustion settling in. Eddie notices and pulls out his phone, “I’ll let Sarah know we’re probably heading home.”
Jackson sighs in relief, “Please, I have had enough of this high society scene.”
“Sarah says she can give Wendy a ride in the limo. I assume Jean-Claude helped you get here, Jackson?”
“You assume correctly. Shall I get him to send us home? I wish we could just be in bed right now, in comfy pajamas and out of these damn suits.”
The boys share a laugh before magic sparks between Jackson and Hakeem, silver eyes glowing with power. “Uh, Hakeem?” Eddie looks between the two of them mildly confused, “Doesn’t that usually mean the wish is within your capabilities?”
Hakeem looks in wonder at the mana spiraling around them, “It….does. I know where to go, the mana needed is there thanks to Jackson. I’ve done teleportation wishes before, just not between realms. Though, many-and I do mean many- test runs have proven that if I can’t make it work with a wish, my magic won’t respond. ”
“So,” asks Jackson, elongating the syllable, “is it safe to wish us home? Into bed, in comfy pajamas?”
Hakeem feels for doubt in his magic, looking for a sign this could all go wrong. He doesn’t find anything of the sort. “Yes. If you don’t mind the mana drain.”
“I have way more than I need. Eddie, want to do the honors?”
Eddie beams, “Oh, yes please. Hakeem, I wish we were home, in bed, in our comfy sleepwear.”
Hakeem grabs Jackson’s hand and leans into Eddie’s hold. He squeezes his eyes shut, heightens his focus, and lets his magic swirl around them in a haze of silver mist, “As you wish.”
* * *
They land in a bed, together, wrapped in Eddie’s arms. Their suits fall to the side of the bed as they feel their sweats and sleep shirts take their place. They realize very soon they are in Eddie’s room, in his bed, still clinging onto one another.
“Uh, I maybe should have specified our own separate beds. Also did it feel weird to you guys to be essentially stripped by magic and changed into sleepwear? How did the magic know not to lose our suits and which clothes were ours?” Eddie asks in rapid succession.
Hakeem hides his face, voice mousy as he replies, “It’s up to me to fill in the gaps.
I made sure we were in the clothes we often wore on late evenings we stayed in.
Made sure we had our suits when we got home, not lost to the magical void.
As for the beds thing, subconsciously, I guess I wanted to stay close to you guys a bit longer. ”
Jackson and Eddie chuckle as Hakeem buries his face deeper into a pillow. “That’s the most adorable accident,” says Eddie.
“Oh my gods, please stop.”
“No can do. Boyfriends have a right to make fun. It’s a privilege in fact,” replies Jackson.
Soreness overtakes Hakeem as an after effect of the wish.
Both men agree it may be nice to stay in bed together tonight than to bother moving to their own rooms. So, for their first night as boyfriends, after months of living together, they fall asleep cuddled up to each other.
They soon doze off, warm, safe, and loved.