158 Bitten By An Ugly Bug

Gabriel stared at his elder brother's neck, and Jake pretended not to notice, eating his toasts in silence. He was wearing a shirt with a low neckline, putting on display the bluish-purple hickey near his Adam's apple. It was so dark on his pale skin that it seemed to jump at people's faces; you would have to be blind not to see it.

"That hickey is quite visible," Gabriel eventually said, tapping his own neck. "It makes people wonder what you did last night."

"Don't say strange things. You know nothing actually happened."

"Hm, I can't help but doubt it. A certain someone seemed elated when they left this morning."

"Stop it with the misleading words. I just asked for a hickey, nothing more."

"Uh-huh."

A sigh escaped Jake's mouth. He put down his half-eaten toast on his plate, then stared at his brother. A second passed before he asked in a deadpan tone, "What do you want to say?"

"Nothing much," Gabriel shrugged. "It's just that a hickey is not the same as a hug; it's a gesture that carries a much more intimate meaning. I'm surprised you allowed Stephan to do it, that's all."

Silence fell between the siblings, so deafening that even flies could be heard flying about. It stretched until Jake snorted, "That's all? Don't make me laugh. Stop beating around the bush and say what's on your mind."

"Are you sure you don't have a thing for Stephan?"

Jake's mouth twitched, the incoming headache already throbbing at his temples. 'Looks like I won't be able to escape this one, huh.' The thought crossed his mind as he narrowed his eye at his brother, who was patiently waiting for an answer. He didn't rush him, but the faint smile on his lips spoke volumes.

"Alright. If he manages to keep it in his pants for a year or two," Jake smiled coldly, "maybe I'll give him a chance."

"That's a little cruel, even for you."

"You can talk."

"…."

"Not saying anything now?"

"Misha is still physically too young. It's not the same."

"Honestly, I'd say Misha is a little pitiful. I can't imagine having to handle my teen hormones while being around the person I love all the time. It must be hard on him, even more so since you're not making it any easier for him." Jake paused to raise an eyebrow, letting the underlying meaning sink in. "Anyway, you've been keeping your hands to yourself for years and plan on doing so until a certain someone reaches adulthood. If Stephan can't do it for a year, I'm not starting a relationship with him."

"Don't take me as a reference! You do know Stephan has a strong sex drive, right?"

"How can I not? He ended up in jail in the first timeline thanks to this."

"…."

The siblings stared at each other, unsaid words lingering between them. They were still in a deadlock when they heard rushed footsteps tumbling down the stairs. A second later, a child popped into the kitchen, bouncing around like a bunny. The boy was wearing blue pajamas with little yellow chicks, his bed hair an impressive sight. When his gaze landed on the two men sitting at the table, a smile bloomed on his face, brightening his chocolate eyes.

"You're here!" Tristan giggled, bolting to Gabriel like a torpedo to hug him. After his brother hugged him back, the boy let go, swiftly turned around, and skipped to Jake. He then wrapped his arms around his waist like an octopus, pressing his cheek against his side. "I thought you'd be done with breakfast already!"

"I'm pretty much done, yes," Gabriel chuckled, pointing to his empty cup of coffee. "What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

Tristan took a second to think, his pensive face adorable enough to make people's hearts melt. He glanced at what was on his eldest brother's plate before smiling, "I want toasts like Jake!"

"Alright, alright," Gabriel shook his head somewhat helplessly, standing up to walk to the counter. "With strawberry jam too?"

"Yes, please!" After answering Gabriel's question, Tristan shifted his gaze to his eldest brother. A frown creased his little face, and the child tilted his head. "Did a bug bite you? You have a big bruise on your neck, and it looks super painful…. Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. And yes, it was one big, ugly bug, but don't worry, I smashed it."

Gabriel almost tripped on his own feet. He knew his friend could be worse than a leech, sticking to people and refusing to let go, but a bug…? It was the first time he had ever heard someone comparing Stephan to an insect, an ugly one to boot. If his friend had heard Jake, Gabriel had a hunch he'd have cried his eyes out, asking to at least be described as a beautiful bug in a faux-indignant tone. He knew Stephan well enough to imagine that scene.

"I see," Tristan smiled sweetly. "I hope you tore its wings and threw it in the trash! Better yet, burned it to a crisp! So, you know, it can never bite you again!"

"…."

"…."

Child, that cute face of yours doesn't match the words coming out of your mouth! It's scary, ok?!

"Why are you saying that?" Gabriel asked. "Isn't it a little too much?"

"But it hurt Jake! And if you want to get rid of bugs, it's better to burn them. That's what Misha said last time we went out camping! Isn't that why we make campfires? To drive away bugs and kill them?"

Jake stared at Gabriel with a "what the heck is your boyfriend teaching our little brother?!" kind of look on his face, to which Gabriel decided to respond with silence. Now that he thought about it, Misha indeed did say something like that, but Tristan skipped the context altogether! A swarm of mosquitoes was driving Misha crazy at the time, making him want to set everything ablaze. Usually, repellents were more than enough! No need to use fire!

Why did his little brother listen to everything Misha said?! He was like a devout believer, believing whatever came out of their God's mouth! But the teenager wasn't the best example and his every word sure as hell shouldn't be worshiped!

"And what about tearing off its wings?"

"If you don't tear them off, the bug is going to fly away and you won't be able to burn it." Tristan blinked, his voice carrying the innocence of youth. "Am I wrong…?"

"Not exactly, but how about asking me this kind of thing instead of Misha?"

"Ok!" the boy obediently nodded before growing a little agitated. He shifted on his feet, rubbing his cheek against Jake's side, then shyly asked, "Also, are you busy today…?"

"Not really," Gabriel said before Jake could answer, flashing his older brother a smile that told him to stay quiet. "Why?"

"Well, hm," Tristan hesitated, biting his lips slightly. "I'd like to go to the aquarium, and I was thinking that, maybe, we could go together? Like, the three of us?"

"Sure."

"Thank you! I'll go tell mom!"

That being said, Tristan dashed upstairs to tell Angela, forgetting about his toasts freshly out of the toaster.

Silence fell between the two brothers left behind, and Jake glared at Gabriel, shooting daggers with his eye.

"Don't give me that look. You need to rest once in a while. Since the kidnapping incident, you hadn't gone a day without scrutinizing every report you could get your hands on. Believe me, taking a break won't hurt you. On the contrary, it may help clear your mind a bit."

"Still, I'd rather you don't decide things for me."

"Had I let you speak, you would have outright refused. You don't want Tristan to go down the same path he did in his past lives, right? So spoil him a little. He clearly loves you a lot, and spending time with him will allow you to guide him on a good path. He seems to have difficulty feeling empathy sometimes, just like the two of us, so we must teach him what's wrong and what's right. Angela won't do it."

"I know," Jake sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's just a little hard on me, sorry."

He had two lives to overcome the trauma left behind by his little brother, yet…. Even during his last days, when he was well over 90 years old, he'd still have nightmares and wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. His wife had helped him face his past, but there were things he simply couldn't forget. The fear and the pain had seeped deep, becoming a part of him. Even if the physical wounds had long healed, the psychological ones hadn't.

"I'm aware of that," Gabriel said, snapping Jake out of his thoughts. "And that's why I'm coming with you."

"Didn't you have plans with Misha today?"

"He will understand."

Jake raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. At any rate, Gabriel would be the one to deal with Misha's pettiness, not him. At this point, it wasn't his problem anymore; he wouldn't meddle with their—incoming—lover's spat, lest he incurred the teenager's wrath. It was better to pretend to know nothing of this, amen.

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Edited by Clozed!! ♥

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