Page 79 of Drift

Korean, the hint was just there around his eyes… just subtle, same with the jet-black hair, pale skin tone, and these… these startling androgynous features that called out natural beauty rather than worry over sexuality. Light could have said he made a massive leap to Jude, but… but those goddamneyesof—

“Tell me, do you live by accident, or does something deeper naturally drive you into bad places?”

Light frowned.“You don’t know me well enough, mate.”He’d kept his voice even back then, but also judged the distance between him and the hall door, who had sat thereinthis hall all those years ago when Light had first played his violin in here.“Don’t overstep the mark, okay.”

Light flinched, more on guard now with the offer of a friendly smile that came his way.

“Don’t blame the rats for following the Piper….” He offered his hand. “Name’s…”

Martin.

Fuck.

Eyes. Yeah. Those goddamn eyes. They held every atom made since the Big Bang, Light knew that, and yet it was there now. Each one danced in a startling cascade of silver-moon grey atoms that lit up any darkened night.

That… that wasJudethere.

That wasMartin’sboy.

Gray had stilled by the door, and understanding sank in over why Simon fell so quiet as well. Why Ray hadn’t shifted his look from where Jude crouched up on the ledge.

“Get down.” Light frowned and pointed to the floor. “Please?”

“Please?” Jude distractedly pushed up the sleeves of his compression shirt to his elbows, showingSaintinked across one arm,Sinnerthe other, before he rested elbows to knees, and a sole white Tuareg-inspired necklace finished off the whole displaced Asian nomad look. “Well ain’t that a dramatic change from the welcome kiss you’ve just given me.”

Light eased everything racing his head with the trace of blood from Jude’s nose. Or tried to at least. Hitting Brin… the fallout…? “Sorry.” He meant that. So damn much. And this time he got chance to apologise straightaway. “Loud music…” He tapped his head. “Messes with this still sometimes.”

“Yeah?” A frown came Light’s way. “That wasn’t my intention. Just making a return annoying call.” Jude smiled softly, and it seemed something he didn’t often offer. “But in judging whether it’s safe for me to come down… tell me, you’ve got no knives on you as well to carry on trying to slay this wee beastie, right? Because I’m a runner, rarely a fire starter.” He winced. “Don’t believe the rumours that try and suggest otherwise on the latter.”

Light frowned, and Jude waved him off. “Hotel Californiajoke on the beastie side.” Another wince. “The other one is… debatable.”

For all of his effort, Light couldn’t place the song even though he knew it deep down. “No, no knives.” He snorted. “Don’t really need them.”

“Ah… the wholeCrouching Tiger, Skinny-ass Dragonthing you have going on there, huh?” Jude chuckled, and the pain in Light’s head eased. He couldn’t ever remember hearing Martin laugh, and how much of a shame was that because there was so much warmth in Jude’s.

“No sharp objects,” Light said again and he put his hand to heart. “You have my word.”

Jude looked at his hand for a moment, a frown, then giving a sniff, a wipe at his nose—he jumped down.

Jesus. The ridges and dips to such a finely toned body and ass couldn’t have been more defined by the tight fit of compression shirt and pants on his body, showing Jude maybe, just maybe used muscles Light had yet to discover, and he had to force himself to stop focusing. Likeone guy staring at another in the johnstop focusing. But as Jude swept his long black fringe away from his eyes….

God. Those goddamn startling silver-grey eyes….

“Light, right? The apologist and stranger to lovers.” Jude looked him up and down. Four years younger, he still matched Light for his height, yet they were polar opposites in looks, Jude absolutely owning those rights. “You’ve got good taste in music, mate, and I mean that. Musician by any chance?” Jude focused on Light’s hands again, one, then the other. “You’ve certainly got the long fingers for either.” A smile. “But I’d really recommend not hitting out and breaking a few there. Gotta protect that talent, right?”

Light went to try and find a reply, like ask how Jude knew his name, why his own look went naturally to Jude’s hands and how he had the same slender offer—another musician? Yet giving a frown, Jude dug them in his pockets, almost what? Wary? His look at Simon as he came over almost said he was ready to bolt and test them all out in the process with the mass of needing-to-run energy he had coming from him with that focus on his hands.

“Now who are you?” Jude frowned Simon’s way. “You’re too young for Old Mukka. Wrong sex for Jan.” He shook his head “Not emo depressive enough for a teenage Jack, and not loner enough to go “Hotel California” like ‘Not Jack Here’. Not with how close you stay to Light. Hmm.” He seemed to work through things so damn fast, and the startling echo of Martin stole Light’s head.

“Security maybe?” Jude shook his head, not looking happy with that. “Nah. You’re stood too close to family, not over by the door like that guy over there?” He thumbed back at Ray. “But still a suit in the middle of the night too, so… not really at home here either?” His look suddenly softened. “Oh. Not family… but wanting to be Light’s and struggling with it?” A slow kiss went at his fingertips, a touch to his heart. “I feel the displacement, brother, I really do.”

Simon stayed locked in the same quiet that hit everyone but Jude.

“So.” All humour seemed to fade from his look as he distractedly rubbed at his neck. “You lot asked after Jude. You wanna tell me why?”

Light flicked a look to Gray—and like bird to air current, Jude followed it in the same breath.

“Right.” Giving a nod to himself, Jude went over to Gray, so bloody close and up in his space.

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