This kind of stuff could only be funny to someone who never really experienced similar injuries, but Beast didn’t want to spoil everyone’s mood because of the things he was much more sensitive to. It was high time to change the topic.
“Joker, if you could have anything in a clubhouse, what would you want?”
“An adult indoor playground,” Joker said without even a second’s hesitation, leaving everyone silent.
Beast cleared his throat. “Okay. What about you, Fox?”
Fox didn’t get to state his opinion, because King’s eyes pierced him like two sharp blades. “What is this about? Are you planning to renovate one of the rooms?” he asked tightly, and Beast met his eyes without a flinch.
“The electricity is fucked again.”
“Well, maybe Knight should check on it. Again.”
Anger bubbled up in Beast’s chest. “What is that supposed to mean? It’s not his fault this fucking building is shit!”
Knight groaned and leaned back on the sofa with his arms wrapped on his chest. “Sorry, King, but I’m doing my best here, and it always goes to shit in the end. There could be rats eating through cables, dampness in the walls, and all that stuff that’s out of my control.”
King spread his arms. “Then let’s get some fucking cats in here! Doesn’t even Disneyworld do that?”
Joker snorted. “This place is no Disneyworld.”
Laurent came over with a big smile, and it was as if the sun itself descended into Beast’s arms. “I cooked the popcorn.” He put a deliciously smelling bowl full of the stuff on the coffee table, but hesitated when he noticed that King had taken his place while he was away. The confusion on the sweet, handsome face made Beast worry that Laurent would leave to read somewhere else.
Beast briefly swiped his gaze over King’s tense jaw and the crow’s feet that had deepened recently. He would show the bastard things were looking up for him while King got as gray as a dove. A boost of heat pushed through his fingers, and he pulled Laurent into his lap.
Laurent laughed nervously, but grabbed Beast’s arm for support. “Oh,” was all he had in him to say when he settled on Beast’s thigh, clenching his fingers on the back of Beast’s tank top.
Even the girls hanging out in the kitchen looked their way, drawn by the astonished silence.
Joker squinted. “What am I looking at? Is this a rom-com moment?”
Beast licked his lips, for a moment feeling his throat tighten. He never really declared his sexual orientation to his brothers. They’d seen him fuck around with pretty much every type of person, and when Beast had a steady boyfriend one time, he hadn’t revealed the depth of their relationship to anyone but Knight. His face flushed slightly, but he met Laurent’s eyes and petted the top of his head, slowly giving him a smile.
“Maybe,” he said, not even looking away from the warm brown gaze that communicated so much when Laurent was too breathless to talk.
And in a moment that made his heart soar, it was Laurent who leaned forward and gave him a little peck on the lips.
Fox whistled. “That’s new.”
Joker glanced at Knight. “Guess someone else is working on that socket,” he whispered in a purposefully loud way.
Beast kicked him in the shin and pulled Laurent closer, moving his hand over the bare arm, that broke out in goose bumps under his touch. “It’s been going on for some time now. I guess it’s time to go public. What do you think, Laurent?” he asked, tracing Laurent’s chin with his thumb.
Nao drifted from the kitchen all too quickly, and now Beast felt he was the spectacle over which everyone would be eating popcorn. For once, he didn’t mind.
“I guess there isn’t anything illegal about this, right?” Laurent asked with a shy smile.
Joker slapped his own thigh. “Oh, man! That guy always cracks me up.”
Nao smiled and leaned over the back of the chair, massaging King’s stiffened shoulders. “So, are you boyfriends?”
Laurent quickly shook his head, making Beast’s heart sink. “We are not boys. We are manfriends.”
Beast blinked, joining in reflexively when Joker burst out laughing. But he didn’t want to put Laurent to shame, so he squeezed his hand and nodded. “Yes, we are manfriends.”
King was silent as he let Nao touch him, and despite wanting to see him experience even the smallest defeat, Beast didn’t really wish to play a game here. So instead, he focused on Laurent and everyone else, pretending his father wasn’t there. Laurent’s fingers played over Beast’s nape, and the warm popcorn tasted like victory.
There. A guy like him could have Laurent. A handsome, young sweetie with lips that were anyone’s dream. Beast navigated the conversation back to what Fox was looking for in a clubhouse, but then Laurent whispered into his ear, tickling him with the soft hair.