Page 55 of The Princess

“Yeah.” Damon sighed into the darkness. Usually, Damon liked the quiet mornings with Nash. They’d wake up and spend some time together in the early hours, talking and kissing. This morning could have been like that, or at least a version of it, but instead Damon had managed to fuck it up.

“How was he?”

“Pissed off. I didn’t help matters any.”

Nash wriggled closer and snuggled into Damon’s side. “It’ll be fine. He’s not used to fighting with Colby, that’s all. Once he settles things with him, everything will smooth out.”

“I just wanted to help.” Damon heard the pout in his voice, but was unable to hide it from Nash. Not that he could ever hide anything from him.

“And you went all Mother Damon on him?”

“I made him cinnamon toast.” Damon felt stupid saying it and even stupider feeling sad that Taylor hadn’t appreciated the gesture.

Cinnamon toast was something his grandparents made for him when he’d stay over. He’d wake up in the morning and his grandpa would let him have a cup of coffee, which was more milk and sugar than it was anything else. His grandma would make him cinnamon toast and they’d talk to him like he wasn’t a kid at all, but a fully grown person. Growing up, he was closer to his grandparents than he was to anyone else in his family.

“It’ll be fine, babe.” Nash kissed his shoulder. “In the meantime, we can look at apartments.”

“Or maybe a townhouse? Something with a small yard?”

This wasn’t the first time the brothers were mad at each other and it wouldn’t be the last. They would make up, of course, but it left Damon wondering whether they should get something with a small yard so they could have a space away from Taylor’s family when they needed one.

“We can keep our options open.” Nash didn’t argue with him. “He’s not going to stay mad forever.”

Damon let out a breath and it felt like his chest was caving in on itself. “I know. I just wish I hadn’t been so smothering.”

“You were fine. It’s a new relationship and it’s a new kind of upheaval for him. He’s used to being the one protected by Colby, not the one in the line of fire.”

“You think they’ll make up?”

Nash made an affirming sound. “I do. Maybe not today, but it won’t take too long.”

“It’s already taken too long,” Damon complained.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Nash cooed, rearranging them so that Damon was the one being held by Nash. “Taylor is fine, and so are you. And the two of you are fine. There’s no need for crisis mode, but if you feel you need to reach out, why don’t you text him?”

“I’ll just make it worse.”

“No, you won’t. You can tell him that you’re sorry if you pushed and that you respect his need to work through this on his own, and then you can remind him that you and I will always be here for him.”

“And that won’t make it worse?” Damon was skeptical. It seemed that no matter what he said this morning, it had been the wrong thing.

“It will be fine. Get your phone out.”

Damon sighed, but did as he was told. He tapped out a text message that said pretty much what Nash had told him to say, word for word. He let Nash read it over before he pressed send. He didn’t expect a reply back at all that day. He figured that Taylor would go to work and be too busy to answer him, but after a few minutes, a text came through.

Sorry for my bad mood. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Cake tonight? xo Taylor

“There, see? He’s not mad.” Nash chuckled. “At least not mad at you. He’s probably still fuming about Colby, but that’s Colby’s problem to sort out. Not ours.”

“Why is this such a mess?” Damon groaned and to his horror, Nash chuckled again. “Are you laughing at me?”

“No. Well, yes, but it’s not for the reason you think. I was just struck by how weird and wonderful our life is right now. Everyone knows about us. We share a boyfriend, whom everyone now knows about. And nothing has fallen from the sky to strike me dead. I’ve not been smote by the almighty or anything.”

“If something came for you, they’d have to get through me.” Taylor might not want his protection or his interference but that didn’t mean that Damon had to stop caring. That’s not even what Taylor asked of him. Though, in the moment, it had felt like it.

He’d just wanted to be left alone to deal with his shit, and Damon could respect that. He looked at the time and was shocked to find that he’d have to get up and get ready for work soon.

“I have half a mind to call in sick,” Damon groused, even as he extracted himself from Nash’s hold. “What are your plans today?”

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