Page 16 of Coffee and Tea

“Thanks,” Jason said. “That…helps, honestly. And I can see it with yours, too. The way he loves you.” They both watched the bent heads, gold and dark, for a second; Colby, taller, was leaning down. Simon seemed to be showing him something on a phone.

“Oh, no,” Ben said, “as long as he’s not looking at the actual monster dildoes again, I just can’t, I’m not saying he can’t buy one for himself but I’d never be able to take a yeti or alien or sparkling vampire dildo seriously…”

“They make what,” Jason said, looking simultaneously horrified and intrigued.

Ben sighed. “I’m sure you’re going to find out.”

“And I thought I knew some things.” Jason pulled out his own phone. “Hey, so, if it’s not weird…can I maybe…I don’t know, can I ask you a couple things, too? Not now, I mean, like, email or something.”

Jason was, after all, younger, despite the muscles and the Hollywood presence; Ben, who’d never been someone’s older brother, said, “Sure,” and they traded numbers, and emails. “Anything in particular?”

“Not exactly. Not yet. I just want to…” Jason sighed. “I want to be sure I’m good at this. For him. What he needs. I did some stuff, before him, but not as…much. And he’s…I need to get it right.”

“Someone hurt him,” Ben said, “before you. And not just his parents.”

Jason’s eyes got more bleak, though not entirely so, not with the depth of love lighting up his face. “Someone…yeah. More than one, honestly, he never really…” He stopped, shook his head. “It’s not my story. I’ll ask him what he wants me to share. But it wasn’t…good. Especially about consent. Really especially his last ex, before me.”

“Well,” Ben said after a second, “I’ve got a lot of weapons and a lot of old contacts, so, y’know, anything you need.” Colby was making Simon laugh. And someone who could make Simon laugh, someone who looked at Simon and saw how brave he was and said so out loud, was someone Ben would protect.

Jason grinned, and saluted him with the phone. “Good to know.”

Colby and Simon came back over, trailing merriment and empty champagne flutes. Colby was saying, “—but that dragon-inspired one…” and giggling; Simon said, “You should definitely get it, if you want it; you know I’m always going to encourage all the disreputable, kinky, and pleasurable things you want to do, darling,” and Colby blushed but laughed more, tucking himself back into Jason’s arm.

Jason said, “Dragon?”

Ben said, hand finding Simon’s wrist, a squeeze, a promise for later, “Having fun?”

“Oh yes.” Simon’s eyes danced. “Also we’re having dinner. Tomorrow. At Colby and Jason’s.”

Jason looked at Colby, a whole devoted legion’s worth of alertness in his face.

“Are we,” Ben said, entertained. His life now had Colby Kent and Jason Mirelli in it. Him, a retired spy. Hanging out with movie stars. Giving Jason advice, apparently. Which was definitely not going unnoticed, being unremarkable, blending in.

Maybe he didn’t mind. Maybe he liked this: seeing Simon happy, and getting to know Colby and Jason, and being seen in turn.

“We are,” Colby said to them all, “and yes, it’ll be fun. I’m so glad we’re here, and you’re here. I truly am.”

Chapter 5

Jason stepped into the flat, shut the door, turned, and found himself being kissed by an exuberant armful of husband. He kissed back, of course; Colby was laughing, pretty, pink-cheeked, mildly tipsy mostly from adrenaline and not champagne: the swinging swooping emotions of the night. Jason held him, and inquired, “Are we going grocery shopping tomorrow morning, then?”

That mattered. Colby most of the time wanted to, liking to consider and choose ingredients; occasionally, even now, too many people would be too many people. And there’d been a lot of people tonight.

Simon and Ben were staying with Simon’s brother Stephen. Colby, who’d evidently met Stephen once or twice, had said to tell him hello. Simon had promised to, though he’d added that Steve was in fact out for the week, some sort of extended house party.

Given an empty London house, and the way Ben’s hand had begun playing with Simon’s symbolic bracelet, Jason had some thoughts about what they were about to do. Probably just about as fun as his plans for Colby, later.

“Oh, yes, we should.” Colby stepped out of his own shoes, and then knelt right down and started taking off Jason’s, a spontaneous gesture, not a requirement or order. Simply because he wanted to, evidently; and he stayed on both knees for a second after, in the entry, looking up. “I want to do this. Nothing too complicated; perhaps just your mother’s carbonara recipe, and some stuffed peppers, and I can make those chocolate-orange tarts you like…”

Jason reached a hand down. Stroked his hair. “Whatever you want. You know you don’t have to…”

“Cook for them? I offered.”

“No, I mean my shoes.”

“Oh. No, I know, I wanted to.” Colby got up when Jason offered him a hand, and linked their fingers together. “Coffee, for after…oh, drat, we should buy tea, Simon’s a tea person, not a traitor to the soul of Englishness the way I am…well, I have got that hibiscus-rose blend, and the peppermint one; those are all right…”

“His husband’s American. He can live with coffee.” The flat, smaller than their Los Angeles house, had been Colby’s first; but it was theirs now, redecorated in fantasy and abstract artwork and luxurious furniture with brass accents and curling plush arms. The bathroom, a whole remodel, invited undersea explorer fantasies. The bedroom walls were storm-blue.

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