Page 30 of Something Unforgettable

“It’s not that,” Finn started—but was Ev right? Was he holding back with Xavier because of what Ev liked to calllingering trauma from childhood?

“Finny, he canceled his business trip and flew here because someone told him you might need him. If that doesn’t tell you he’s different, I don’t know what will.” He took Finn’s uninjured hand and held it. “Promise me you’ll try? You haven’t been interested in anyone the whole time I’ve known you, and you’ve been talking about this guy off and on for over a year.” He grinned, lopsided. “Let me live vicariously through you, okay? ’Cause I sure as hell can’t find a Daddy of my own.”

Finn’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “You said you were seeing someone. Did it not work out?”

Ev hadn’t given him many details, other than that it wasn’t that serious and he was just having fun. Finn hadn’t pointed out that Ev wasn’t the hook-up guy he liked to pretend he was. Ev was loyal and cared about everyone, sometimes too deeply. He liked to put on a tough-guy act with his piercings, his faux-hawk, and his leather jackets, but he was soft and sweet underneath. He never would have put up with Finn’s drama otherwise.

“So, it turns out that everyone who says ‘don’t date your boss’ was right. Fucker cheated on me, broke up with me when I called him out on it, then fired me for being ‘insubordinate’ at work.”

“Oh, Ev,” Finn said, hugging his friend whose brave face wasn’t all that good. “Want me to come up and help you slash his tires?”

Ev giggled, wetly. “Nah. I have it covered. And besides, I won’t have any trouble finding a new job. Plenty of places are looking to fill positions right before the holidays.” He leaned into Finn’s hug anyway, fingers twisting in the blanket between them.

“Was he…you know? Your, um—your Daddy?” Just saying the word made Finn’s face hot. Ev had done his best to explain the whole Daddy-little-middle thing to him, but Finn didn’t get it. Sure, the Daddy part sounded nice. The idea of someone so focused on you, who wanted to take care of you and keep you safe, well, it sounded like a dream, honestly.

But the “little” part? That part confused him. He didn’t mind when Ev wanted to play video games all day or eat ice cream until they were both sick to their stomachs, but it didn’t bring him joy the way it did his best friend. It didn’t make him feel like a kid again or make him want to seek it out on his own. He’d rather relax with a good book—not that Ev didn’t enjoy romances; he just liked the movies more. Movies that Xavier claimed to like as well.

Finn refocused on Ev. It wasn’t the time to daydream about Xavier when Ev was hurting. Ev picked at a thread on his pants and wouldn’t meet Finn’s eyes.

“He was supposed to be, but he sucked at it. He said all the right things, but when it came down to it, he was a great big fake.”

“I’m sorry, Ev. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Ev snuggled closer. “Don’t apologize. I didn’t come down here to dump my problems all over you. You’ve got enough to deal with.”

Finn smiled a little. “How about we deal with our problems together? We could nap, like Xavi suggested, then have a movie night?” Movie nights were one of Ev’s favorite things—at least, when video games weren’t an option. And even if they had a game system, Finn’s arm would make playing awkward.

Ev’s lips curved up. “Xavi, huh?”

Finn blushed and smacked his shoulder. “Shut up and sleep.” He dragged the blankets up as much as he could one-handed, until Ev reached down and helped him.

When they were settled, Ev wiggled closer until their foreheads were nearly touching and his could fling an arm and a leg over Finn’s body. Ev was a cuddler, and it was easier to go with it than to try to fend off his octopus arms in his sleep. Finn had learned that from experience.

“Night, Finny.”

“Night, Ev. I’m glad you’re here.”

They’d tried to nap, but it ended up that Ev needed to unwind first, and Finn wasn’t as sleepy as he’d thought. An hour later they were on the sofa—Ev curled up against one arm, Finn against the other, and their legs fighting for control of the middle. They could probably both fit, but Ev was so wiggly. It drove Finn, who couldn’t concentrate on the movie when he was constantly being jostled, crazy.

The movie was one he hadn’t seen before. It was action-y and had won a bunch of awards. The main actor with his salt-and-pepper hair and graying beard was, as Ev put it, “total Daddy material.” Finn could see it, even if the man was a little too old for him. Sure, he liked older guys, but graduated-from-college-before-Finn-was-born was too much for him. Didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the hotness though. Andwow, this guy had some insane abs for someone in their forties. He was standing in the rain, his chest heaving with exertion as water poured down the ridges of his exhausted body.

“I kind of want to lick him,” Ev announced.

Finn nodded in agreement.

“I’ll let him know,” Xavier said dryly from behind the couch.

Finn startled and twisted around to find Xavier putting bags of food on the small table near the window. He hadn’t heard him come in over the TV that Ev had up too loud. He didn’t get to say anything before Ev cut in.

“You know Remy Dalton? Is he as fucking gorgeous in real life as he is in pictures?” He crawled up onto his knees, hanging over the back of the sofa in his eagerness. “Will you introduce me?”

Xavier snorted and Finn double-checked to make sure it was amusement and not annoyance. Ev could be a lot for some people, especially when he got like this. Luckily, the corners of Xavier’s eyes were creasing with the amusement he was trying to hide.

“Isn’t he a little old for you?”

Ev shrugged and dropped back down to the cushions, bouncing as he landed. “Well, yeah. I don’t want to, like, marry him or whatever. But a hookup would still be fucking hot.”

Finn caught Xavier’s gaze and rolled his eyes. Xavier winked in return and it made Finn feel all warm and gooey inside. He ducked his head and smiled into the blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

---