Page 240 of Untouchable

But the path is so clear in his mind.

If you had no one in your life, you wouldn't have to worry about situations like these.

It had been simple when Gil was the only person he really cared about.

What if they don't get along?

What if Gil, like Parker's mother, digs in his heels?

Harp chews his lip. What if, then.

What had Harp said to Parker? Let her be mad.

It's harder when applied to his own situation. Until Parker was in his life, Gil was the only person in the world Harp cared about. He was the only person that mattered, if he was mad or not.

It's a monumental shift, then, and Parker is at the center of it. It's frightening. What if he's wrong? Blood binds Gil to Harp, but if Parker changes his mind there is nothing to bind him to Harp, nothing to keep him here.

Stop, Harp commands himself. You don’t have to choose.

* * *

“Sorry I’ve been,y’know, talking so much,” Parker says, hopping up to sit on the counter. “I’m… pretty nervous. I want him to like me, y’know, since he’s… well, he’s your brother and I know how important he is to you. But he’s really, I dunno… cool, I guess? Like, way cooler than me. And… I dunno, I think he was ready to die of boredom when I started talking about massage stuff.”

"First of all, Gilbert is not cool," Harp says, raising an eyebrow. "Second of all, he means a lot to me, but my opinion on you is already formed, so although it would be grand if the two of you really hit it off, I'm not going to hold my breath about it. If he can't be polite when you talk about massage, you can go ahead and roll your eyes when he talks about his kombucha co-op or whatever the fuck."

“Okay,” Parker says, only halfway convinced. “I’ll, um… try. Not to worry about it, I mean.”

He kicks his legs out to wrap them around Harp’s hips, reeling Harp closer to him.

“Well,” Parker says. “You don’t have to worry about me. And, y’know, if there’s anything I can do to, like, make it easier for you just let me know.” He pauses and laughs. “Okay, that sounded really sexual but I didn’t mean it like that. I mean I could mean it like that, but yeah.”

He bites his lip, hating what he’s about to offer but knowing he needs to anyway.

“And, I mean, if you want, I don’t mind heading back early. Gil came here all the way from Washington and I live like forty minutes from here.”

Harp smiles. "You mean Oregon, baby," he says, planting a kiss on Parker's forehead. "And I think you underestimate how stubborn I am. I want you here with me—surprise houseguest or not."

“Oh,”Parker says with a crooked smile. He likes that, when Harp corrects him, Harp never makes him feel small or stupid.

That’s why I love him, Parker thinks absently.

“Well… good, then,” Parker says. “Because, no offense, but… I didn’t want to leave.” He pauses and heaves a dramatic sigh. “We’ll probably have to wait a while before we fuck again, though. I hate trying to be quiet.”

"I can't believe Parker James just told me he needs to wait for something. And why do you think I want Gil in the basement?" Harp flashes him a wicked smile.

“Hey,” Parker whines. “I’m trying, okay?”

Harp hums affirmatively and strokes up and down Parker's sides for a moment.

"I'm gonna go smoke for a minute," Harp says. Before Parker can volunteer to come out with him, he adds, "You okay in here?"

“Sure,” he says, stealing a quick kiss as he hops off the counter. “Besides, I need to tell Mindy about your Christmas gift to me—” Harp blanches, and Parker laughs. “I meant the lights, duh. But don’t think I’m not telling her about the sex too.”

He gallops up the stairs to retrieve his phone, firing off a few rather lurid text messages to Mindy, and wishing her a good holiday. He goes back to the first floor and sets about trying to build a fire. He’s still not nearly as competent as Harp when it comes to navigating the fireplace, but he’s learned a little.

As he carefully stacks the tinder, he tries to remember the last time he saw Harp smoke, and he can’t even really recall. It makes Parker feel good, though he’s not quite sure if he can take any credit for it. He likes the idea of his presence in Harp’s life leading to Harp being healthier, happier.

* * *

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