Page 23 of Decorated

“I’m off today,” Alfie reminded him.

“Right. Yes. But I think more of my family will be descending on Hawthorne House soon, so there really isn’t time for us to have marathon sex.”

“Short sprint sex it is, then,” Alfie said, kissing the side of Blaine’s neck.

From there he sat up, bringing Blaine with him. The gesture was alarming.

“Are you going now?” Blaine asked. Maybe all the words they’d just said were only that, words.

“Back downstairs to finish with the decorations?” Alfie suggested. “The party is tomorrow night, after all. I thought there was a lot more to be done.”

“There is,” Blaine said.

Alfie nodded. “Then let’s get up, maybe take a quick shower, and head back down there.”

Blaine smiled, feeling mostly better. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt. Especially when Alfie practically carried him out of bed and into the bathroom so they could shower together. It was just so…nice. Alfie was treating him like he was special. Hewasn’t convinced he was or that it was right to enjoy being the center of someone’s attention like that. Someone amazing and wonderful. It felt wrong to enjoy it.

That feeling of being on tenterhooks stayed with Blaine as he and Alfie dressed, grabbed a quick something to eat, then headed back downstairs to resume decorating for the party.

At least, that was the plan. They hadn’t made it more than a dozen steps outside Blaine’s flat when they ran into his brother Baxter, cousin Robbie, and Robbie’s partner, Toby coming up the stairs.

“I was wondering where you’d gone off to,” Bax said. His smile immediately turned cheeky as he glanced at Alfie. “I guess it all makes sense now.”

“Nice job, Blaine,” Robbie said, laughing.

He wasn’t being mean. Robbie didn’t have a mean bone in his body. But the implication of those simple words had Blaine cringing.

“Leave it to my brother to bag the hottest guy to come through Hawthorne House in ages,” Bax said, stepping forward to clap a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “You planning to keep this one or is he just another temporary fix?”

“I’d offer to take your leftovers,” Toby teased, then rested his hand on Robbie’s back, “but I’ve already bagged myself a Hawthorne.”

“Very funny,” Blaine said, trying to laugh along with them, even though he wanted to wither in embarrassment.

“Whether this lasts or not, you have excellent taste,” Bax said, then extended a hand to Alfie. “Hi. In case you couldn’t tell from my face, I’m Blaine’s twin brother, Baxter.”

“Hello, Baxter,” Alfie returned the greeting, taking Bax’s hand.

Bax let out a yelp as Alfie squeezed his hand hard, then yanked him closer, his expression indignant.

“It’s not particularly brotherly to make fun of someone for having the freedom and courage to express and enjoy themselves, is it,” Alfie told Bax in a complete deadpan.

Blaine’s initial shock at Alfie’s move melted quickly into amusement. “Yeah, Bax. You’ve been following Nick around all month, but have you done anything about it?”

Alfie let go of Bax’s hand, then turned to Blaine as Bax shook his hand out. “You shouldn’t be poking at your brother with the same stick he’s used against you either.”

He should have felt chastised, but instead, Blaine grinned. “No, I shouldn’t. Sorry, sir,” he said, then saluted.

He was just playing, but he couldn’t help himself. His heart felt lighter than air at the way Alfie had defended him. And hotter than Hades when he chastised him. It was like how someone saying kind, sweet things to you when you were sad only made you cry more. Alfie defending him at a moment when he needed defending made him want to laugh, even if he was the butt of the joke.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing Alfie’s hand and leading him on past Bax, Robbie, and Toby. “We’ve got a lot more decorating to do. And I still have to convince you that Christmas is the best time of year.”

Alfie chuckled as he followed, his hand warm in Blaine’s. “You’re doing a pretty good job so far,” he said. Blaine turned to gape at him as they reached the top of the stairs, but Alfie went on with, “I’m still not jumping on the Christmas bandwagon anytime soon.”

Even that made Blaine smile. “Ooh, I love a good challenge. I’ll win you over yet.”

He hoped he would, at least. Either way, Alfie had definitely captured his heart in so many ways. He just hoped neither of them would let it go.

SEVEN

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