Clueless Camping - 15. Rules of engagement

Lunch ended soon after my little outburst. Chris gave me a hug and told me it was one of the best compliments he’d ever gotten. Thankfully, everyone else tactfully ignored it, but I noticed Mom discretely wiping her eyes.

Nothing memorable happened the rest of the afternoon. We did some sightseeing after lunch, walking past Rundetårn to Kongens Have, with its renaissance castle Rosenborg, home of the Danish Crown Jewels. After a stroll in the park, which Chris was impressed to hear had been established in 1606, we walked down to Amalienborg, with the Royal Residences, and from there to Nyhavn. Benedicte knew lots of interesting facts and stories about all of these places, and of course Evan and I had to have our picture taken next to one of the guards at Amalienborg.

Around six, the ladies left us to go back to Jens and Benedicte’s place. Chris insisted on walking me home, saying they would catch the Metro from Christianshavn.

“But what about supper?” I asked.

“We’ll buy some fruit, nuts and other stuff to eat at the hotel. After that meal, I’m not going to get hungry for a long time.”

“Makes sense.” I could see Chris’ point, but I was surprised he didn’t want to take every opportunity to fatten up Evan. I looked at my twin, and the twinkle in his eye warned me of impending sauciness.

“Yeah, I like nibbling on nuts, and I love it when Chris feeds me—”

I clapped my hand over his mouth. “Evan! I don’t need to hear that.”

Chris laughed. “I love you, Tiger, and I’m glad you’re back. I missed you. Thanks, Russ.”

Evan’s eyes went huge, and I let go of him. He rushed into Chris’ arms, and they hugged and kissed. Luckily we were standing on a wide piece of pavement next to the Magasin Metro Station, so people could detour around them. Hardly anyone gave them a second glance, and those who did mostly smiled. I was trying to work out what Chris’ words meant, when they let go of each other.

“You missed me?”

“Yes, Tiger, I did, and I’ll show you how much when we get back to the hotel.”

“Oh…” Evan’s cheeks glowed, and I felt my own heat up a bit. A small ache in my gut reminded me of Jacob; I missed him and needed him. I wanted him, tonight.

“Ehmm, guys, can we…?”

They turned to look at me, and I gestured towards the Metro stairs. Walking home would take too long in my opinion.

“Oops, sorry Russ, yeah let’s go.” Evan grinned at me, and I couldn’t recall the last time I’d seen him as happy as he’d been today.

We went down the stairs and continued down to the platform via the escalators. Chris got their ‘klippekort[1]’ out and stamped the ticket three times to cover all of us. I once more tried to convince them to continue towards their hotel when I got off at Christianshavn, but Chris simply shook his head, and I knew better than to argue when I saw the firm set of his mouth. In any case, the first Metro train went to Vestamager, so they had to change at Christianshavn anyway.

On the short walk from the station to Jacob’s apartment, Evan and I were once more in front of Chris, and I leaned in to whisper to my twin. “Tiger?!”

“Uhm, yeah, it’s partly because of Winnie the Pooh’s bouncy friend, you know?”

I tried not to laugh, but I could see why Evan would remind his boyfriend of ‘Tigger’ from the books and cartoons.

“Yes…” Chris’ deep calm voice right behind me made me jump a bit, as I hadn’t realized he was close enough to listen in. “And I’m grateful seeing his twin has brought my Tiger back even happier than before. But the main reason for the name is almost funnier.” We were nearly at the door to the apartment building and he waited until we got there and I had pressed the buzzer, before continuing.

“I had taken Jim, my new colleague, to the gym I use, as he wanted to get a membership. As we were getting changed, he made a joke about the scratches on my back; something about my girlfriend being ‘a wildcat in bed.’ I just said ‘No, he’s more like a tiger’ and Jim fell off the bench.”

The buzzer sounded and a click signaled the door had unlocked, but I just stood there gaping at Chris. He reached over my shoulder to push the door open and Evan nudged me to go inside.

“The other guys in the locker room all knew me, so they laughed their heads off. But Jim’s a cool dude; he joined in, and even apologized for making assumptions. The next time Evan and I went there for a workout they all called him Tiger.”

Evan gave me a hug. “They only teased me with it a couple of times, so it’s not a general nickname.” He turned his head and whispered in my ear. “But Chris uses it when I top him.”

He pulled back and grinned at me. “Goodnight, Russ. We’ll see you tomorrow at nine-thirty.”

“Goodnight, little brother. Give our best to Jacob.” Chris gave my shoulder a squeeze and took Evan’s hand. I barely managed to say goodnight in return, before the door closed, and I was left alone to go upstairs. They sure seemed in a hurry to get back to the hotel. I chuckled at the thought.

“Russ, are you there?” My fiancé’s voice calling down the stairwell reminded me about missing him and what was in my backpack. I took the stairs at almost a run.

“I’m on my way, Jacob.”

***

After a long kiss to welcome me back we sat down on the couch together.

“How did your day go?”

“It was great. Evan and Chris bought these awesome rings, and we had a nice lunch and a walk with the ladies. But I missed you most of the time.” Another long kiss helped mitigate my need for him.

“I missed you too, Russ. But the good news is I’m done with my studies, so we can spend the evening together. In fact, I always get nervous before an exam, so it would be nice if you distracted me a bit.”

Oh, I could definitely do that. Hmm, maybe a shower together, but wait… I should prepare… Oh, and what about the rings…

“Læsø,” a tap on my nose interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to find a small grin on Jacob’s face. I had the feeling he knew what was distracting me, but he ignored it.

“How come Evan and Chris went back to the hotel? I expected us to eat supper together.”

“Ehm, they wanted… Wait, how did you know they were here?” None of us had said anything when Jacob buzzed us in, so how did he know they had brought me home?

“Chris texted to say you were on your way.”

“And you knew he would escort me all the way here?”

Jacob nodded, and he didn’t even try to apologize for them being protective of Evan and me. Oh well, I guess it was understandable.

“They were eager to get back to their hotel. I think they wanted to celebrate finding their engagement rings.”

I grabbed my backpack, which I’d dropped next to the couch.

“Speaking of which…” I dug out the small bag and heard Jacob’s swift intake of air as he saw the jeweler’s logo. The seriousness of his response raised a small devil in me.

Before he could do anything else, I was half-jokingly kneeling in front of him and had the small box open.

“Jacob,” I giggled. “I love you more than words can express. Will you please marry me?”

“Yes, Russell, of course I will.” Those compelling blue eyes glistened with tears and a loving devotion so deep it took my breath away. How did I ever deserve such a wonderful man?

I took the larger of the two rings from the box and slid it on Jacob’s left hand. He pulled me up for a tender kiss and I didn’t resist when he made me sit on the couch while he went down on his knee. He gently plucked the box from my hand and held it between us.

“Russ, I had almost given up on finding love and my own happily-ever-after. It seemed like an impossible, silly, romantic dream. But you made my dreams come true, and your loyal heart is the most precious gift anyone could ask for. Will you be my husband and lover forever?”

“Ja, Jacob. Jeg elsker dig.”[2] Even though I was choked up with emotion my answer was sure, ringing out strong and clear. I smiled at his obvious surprise and pleasure for having answered him in Danish. I’d been practicing the ‘I love you’ phrase for a while, and this was the perfect moment. We both looked down to see him slide the ring on my finger. The small diamonds and green sapphires caught the light, and I was once more struck by the extraordinary beauty of our future wedding bands.

“Beautiful…” The murmur from Jacob echoed my thoughts. He held my left hand with his own and used his right to lift my head to meet his gaze. “Almost as beautiful as your eyes, Russ.”

I leaned forward to kiss him, and as soon as his warm lips touched mine, I knew what would happen. It was as if an electric current jolted me, and when I opened my mouth Jacob’s tongue filled it. My groan was muffled as I squirmed to alleviate the discomfort from my instant erection. I tried to get closer to Jacob – pull him up or get down on the floor, I didn’t care which – but I needed him; I wanted him more than ever.

He seemed to have had the same idea, because he was undressing me even as we managed to stand up and make our way towards the bedroom, still kissing. As we fell on the bed together and he yanked my jeans and briefs down, I finally managed to voice a halfway sensible thought.

“Jacob, I need to…the bathroom…you know.”

He went completely still. I lifted my head in concern, looking at him. I’d never seen such an intense look; his eyes bored into mine.

“Do you mean…?”

I knew he’d realized I wasn’t telling him I needed to pee.

I held up my left hand, and even though the words made me flush red with heat and embarrassment, I flat out told him, "Do I have to remind you of your promise to fuck me once you'd put a ring on this finger?! I’m not waiting any longer, Jacob, I want you.”

A heavy body landed on top of me, knocking all the breath out of me, and I was kissed to within an inch of my life.

“I want you too, Russ. I can’t wait any longer, either. I want us to make love to each other.”

YES! Ooops, wait…

“Ehm, you also want me to…?”

“Oh yes, definitely.” Jacob chuckled at my expression, and slid sideways to lie next to me, watching as I took a few deep breaths.

“Don’t worry, Russ, I’ll top you first, but if we’re doing this, it’s going to be mutual. Even though I do have to sit through my four-hour exam tomorrow.”

I decided joking was a good way to relieve the tension. “I thought I was supposed to distract you from worrying about it.”

“Trust me, Russ. I only have one thing on my mind right now.” Yeah, the smoldering gaze and the hard rod poking my hip confirmed that.

“Do you want to use the bathroom first?” Jacob asked.

“Uhm OK, but can we shower together afterwards?”

“Sure, even if there isn’t much room. Not like the hotel in Frederikshavn.” He kissed me and his hand cupped me gently.

The memory of us together in that shower, the first time I’d touched his cock, and how he’d played with my ass, made my balls ache. I needed a break or I’d come too soon. I think my panting and the way I bucked my hips alerted Jacob to the risk, and he let me go.

Twenty minutes later, after our personal ablutions, we were locked in a tight embrace in the shower, having washed each other all over. Not only had two of Jacob’s fingers explored my backside, though carefully avoiding my ‘magic button,’ but I had eagerly returned the favor. Having my handsome blond Viking leaning on the wall with his legs spread and his sexy ass jutting out while he begged me for more, was a huge turn-on. He had brought some lube into the shower and guided me as I slicked him up and carefully inserted one, then two fingers. When I finally found the spongy ‘peeble’ deep in his ass, he cried out.

“Yes, fuck yes, do that again, Russ. Ahhh, jaaa, mer, mer.” I knew the last part meant ‘yes, more, more’ and I obliged. My other hand sneaked around to caress his cock, which seemed larger and harder than ever. This made Jacob shudder all over and clench his sphincter around my fingers. I loved making my strong man moan helplessly, and I could suddenly see the attraction of topping occasionally. But having my fiancé fuck me with the thick cock in my hand was something I craved even more.

Jacob suddenly straightened, making my fingers slide out of his ass. He turned around and embraced me, and I hugged him back. I was no longer shy, but fondled his butt checks as if they belonged to me. Hell, I guess they did, since he let me put a ring on his finger. We quickly became a wet tangle of hands and lips and skin moving against each other, trying to get even closer. I would never get enough of having his naked body against mine, or our mouths and tongues trying to devour each other.

We finally separated, and Jacob shut off the shower to get out and find our towels. We dried ourselves, which helped bring us back from the brink. Once we got into the bedroom, Jacob lay down on the bed and I climbed on top of him. I kissed him and rubbed my needy dick all over his abs. When he didn’t do anything, I began kissing and licking my way down his chest.

“Go ahead, Russ. Do what you want, I’m all yours tonight,” Jacob whispered, and then he moaned as I pinched his nipples. I worked my way down to his cock, but remembering what he had done the other night, I bypassed it, except for a quick lick on the exposed head, and went on to play with his balls. He liked that and when I pushed his legs apart, he immediately exposed himself by lifting them.

After a slight hesitation I licked my way to the place hidden between his firm buttocks. Jacob went crazy when I touched the spot with the tip of my tongue. He pleaded for more, and I gave it to him. When his entrance was slick with my spit, I returned to his cock and was astonished to see the amount of pre-cum glistening on his stomach under the engorged head. I ran my tongue up his cock and licked the tip, enjoying the sounds coming from my fiancé. When I started sucking him in earnest, he gently pushed me away and sat up.

“My turn now, Russ. Please get on your hands and knees.”

I scrambled to comply.

“That’s right, now spread yourself for me.” The husky voice of my lover sent a shiver down my spine. I rested my cheek on the pillow and reached behind me to pull my buttocks apart.

“Fuck, Russ, you’re so sexy like that.”

A warm, wet tongue prodded my entrance and I whimpered. He kept at it, making me relax and ready to take him inside. I forgot any worry about the potential pain of losing my virginity, and focused on how much I wanted him. I hardly noticed when he shifted from rimming to slicking me up with his fingers and plenty of lube, slowly stretching my ring of muscles. I was floating in a euphoric sea of sensual delight, and not even the pressure of a wet rounded hardness against my backside made me surface.

Vaguely, I heard Jacob whisper about making it easier, asking me to relax, which was ridiculous, since I was almost limp from pleasure. My hands had flopped down on the mattress, but as he pulled my ass higher, I brought my arms forward and put some weight on my elbows. The pressure against my virgin hole got stronger and I felt my muscles give way as Jacob breached me. There was no pain, just the unbelievable sensation of him filling me, slowly pushing his cock inside me, edging me closer to an ecstasy hovering just out of reach.

The tip hit my prostate, sending a jolt through me before moving on. His thick shaft maintained a steady pressure on my magic spot as he slid deeper inside. I arched my back and opened my mouth in a silent gasp for air, and a moment later I was lost. Jacob’s warm hand closed around the head of my throbbing dick and his balls hit mine as he bottomed out. There was no other warning, I simply shouted his name in ecstasy and wet pulses hit his fingers in a seemingly never-ending series of contractions radiating from that special place in my ass. My balls were trying to climb into my body, my sphincter strangled the base of Jacob’s cock, and my shaft felt hard enough to drill through stone as cum shot into Jacob’s hand.

He stayed completely still, maybe from the surprise of my unexpected orgasm, or because he was caught in a vice-like grip. As I finally came back to myself, I heard his caring, seductive words.

“I love you, babe. You’re freaking hot and gorgeous when you come, so tight and warm around me. I can’t believe how easy it was; your sexy butt opened up and let me in, just like that! I never want to leave, you’re mine. Love you…and your unbelievably hot ass. Fuck, babe, I need to move, I need to see your face, your beautiful green eyes. I want to kiss you.”

His hand kept holding me, gently squeezing, and I gradually realized I was still hard. More importantly, I wanted him to move, to fuck me, take me and cum inside me. I made a small experimental thrust forwards and back, and we moaned in unison.

“Russ, babe, are you OK?” I could hear the strain in his voice.

“Oh god yes, but I need you to do more, and I want to see you too, Jacob. Can we…? Ahhhh.” I couldn’t help the long needy sound as he slowly withdrew, it felt so good. He let go of my dick and hesitated at the last moment before he used his hand to gently ease the swollen head of his cock from my ass. I groaned but immediately wriggled around to lie on my back. The sight of my fiancé on his knees, smearing my cum all over his already slick manhood, had me spreading my legs even more and reaching for him.

No words were necessary as he bent forward to support himself on one hand and used the other to position himself. A firm push and his cock was once more exactly where it belonged, deep inside my ass. Our eyes never left each other as he made love to me, fucking me with long slow strokes, shifting around until he found the perfect angle. I’m sure my cries of pleasure and the way I squirmed told him everything he needed to know. He leaned forward to kiss me and when he straightened back up, he nudged my hand towards my groin.

“I can’t hold out much longer, babe. Do you want me to pull out…or is it OK to—”

“Fuck no, don’t pull out, I’m almost there too, and I want everything. Give it to me…”

His hips snapped forward harder and faster, and I grabbed my leaking dick to stroke it in time with his thrusts. I thought I’d mistimed it, but as I felt my orgasm build, Jacob lost it completely. He shouted wordlessly, although my name popped out once or twice, and as I spurted all over us, I’m sure I felt him do the same inside me, repeatedly. Jacob stopped thrusting when my sphincter contracted around him, but he was still shuddering and groaning and his eyes closed as his whole face got this totally goofy expression. I guess mine may have shown equally out-of-this-world contortions.

Jacob collapsed on me and we clung to each other, completely exhausted. I loved the feeling of his warm body pinning me down. After a while I finally got my voice back. “Is your first time supposed to be this good?”

“Hmmm?” Jacob nuzzled against my neck and kissed it.

“I thought you said we would have to practice sex for it to become perfect. But I think anything better than this might kill me.”

He snorted a bit; it was almost a giggle. “I agree; I’ve never had sex this good either. I thought I was going to pass out.”

“Wow.”

“Wow doesn’t even come close, Russ. You’ve no idea how utterly fantastic it was to cum inside you just now.”

Both of us probably felt the involuntary contraction in my ass at his words and the resulting pop as his deflated cock left my well-fucked hole.

“Oops, let me get some tissues and a wet towel.” Jacob rolled off me, and tried to sit up, but I grabbed his arm.

“Never mind. I’m gonna need another shower, and the sheet is ruined anyway.”

“Yeah, you’re right, there’s cum everywhere.” Jacob sounded like he couldn’t care less, and he leaned in to kiss me. We snuggled for a bit, until the sticky stuff on my body made me itchy. I sighed and sat up. In the bathroom Jacob washed first, and then I took a quick shower. When I got back to the bedroom, he’d changed the sheet and the pillowcases. The duvets had been safe, out of the way, on the floor.

“How are you feeling, Russ?”

“I’m fine. A bit tender, but in a good way.”

I joined Jacob under a duvet and cuddled up. As I ran my left hand over his chest, I became aware of the foreign feeling of a band on my finger. I brought my hand out and stared at my engagement ring. I wanted to keep wearing it from now on, but I knew it would raise questions from our family. But I was definitely going to insist we wore them every night.

“I’m so glad our rings were ready today.”

“Me too. It was a wonderful surprise.” Jacob brought his hand up next to mine and sighed. “I want us to keep them on now.”

“Wow, that’s exactly what I was thinking. But what about the party? I don’t want to disappoint our moms, and I definitely don’t want to explain why we couldn’t wait.”

“Russ, I hope sex wasn’t the only reason you couldn’t wait?”

“Uhmm…”

Jacob sat up and looked at me with a frown. His voice was stern. “These rings are symbol of our love, not an excuse to get laid.”

I stared at him in consternation, but a small quiver at the side of his mouth gave him away. A second later he burst out laughing and I jumped up and attacked him. He fell back on the bed and we wrestled for a bit, me trying to pin him down and Jacob squirming out of my grasp. I finally resorted to dirty tricks and pinched his nipples.

“How could you tease me like that? I ought to spank you!” Try as I might I couldn’t get any convincing indignation into my voice. Jacob froze beneath me, but his eyes were full of mirth.

“And just how were you going to manage that, huh?”

Two strong arms caught me in a warm hug and before I knew it, Jacob had rolled me over and we were kissing deeply with him on top. I let him, but sneaked a hand down and smacked his butt. He reared back to grin at me, and I did my best to scowl.

“Admit it, Jacob, you were just as eager as me.”

“Of course I was, Russ. You may well have gotten laid tonight, rings or not.”

I smiled and pulled his head down for another kiss. I felt like the luckiest guy on earth right now.

“I think you’re right, we should wear our rings from now on.” I hoped he still felt the same.

“Of course. You proposed properly with a ring, and that means we’re engaged. The party is secondary.”

“And I want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours. Forever.”

“Yes, I am, Russ. And I’ll show you later tonight. But right now I need some food.”

“I could do with something to drink, even if I’m not very hungry. We had a huge lunch.”

***

An hour later we were back in bed after a quick meal. It was too early to sleep, not yet nine o’clock, but we agreed it was more comfortable to sit in bed and talk rather than in the living room. I shed my socks but kept my T-shirt and briefs on. Before Jacob joined me he went over to his closet and fetched a shoebox from the top shelf. He pushed one of the duvets and both pillows against the headboard to make a comfortable backrest and placed the box on the other duvet over our legs.

I snuggled closer and he took the lid off. The first thing I saw was my old sketchbook.

“Oh.” I reached out to touch it. Jacob pushed the pad into my fingers and I lifted it out. Below was a plastic photo holder of the kind that you flip over one by one to see the contents. The top plastic sleeve had a photo of Mom, Kristin, Evan and me arriving in Denmark five years ago. I gulped and averted my eyes, but when Jacob removed it from the shoebox I looked back to see what else was in there.

There were mainly postcards and a few trinkets and souvenirs, the kind you get to remind you of sightseeing. I was surprised Jacob had collected and kept them, since they were clearly from Denmark. But suddenly, under a bunch of postcards, I caught sight of a small, carefully padded box with a clear lid and I felt the blood drain from my face. These were not Jacob’s possessions; they were mine! I suddenly had a vivid recollection of the shoebox standing next to my bed in the summerhouse on Bornholm, and me placing my newest acquisition carefully in the corner.

“It’s beautiful, Russ. I almost wish I bought an egg too. But you found the best one, it’s perfect.”

Evan’s arm across my shoulder felt wonderful, as did his praise for my choice. I had been fascinated by the glassblowers we had visited on Bornholm, and our cousin had patiently driven us to several of them. Jacob and Evan would sit outside and chat when they had had enough of looking at the glassblowing or the products displayed in the shops. They never hurried me, got impatient, or sneered about my interest in arts and crafts. When I occasionally pointed out something I found exceptional, Evan admired it immediately but Jacob would ask why it had caught my eye, and he seemed interested in the answers. Mostly he would agree with my evaluations, but once or twice he shook his head and admitted he couldn’t see what I did. Strangely, he always managed to make it seem a lack in him rather than faults with my opinion.

I’d refrained from buying anything, since I knew we didn’t have much space to bring things home, and the glass pieces I admired were generally too large and expensive. But that day we had visited a place near Gudhjem where they had these fascinating glass eggs with swirly, colored, smoke-like forms inside. I’d found one with two greenish-blue shapes rising from the base and winding upwards together, separating and touching, similar yet different, making their own way to the top, but each twisted path enhancing the beauty of the twin next to it.

I had craved this particular egg from the moment I set eyes on it. Holding it in my hand before the shop assistant set the egg in the padded box with a see-through lid, I’d enjoyed the shape and weight and smooth feeling of the glass art. Fortunately, it was well within the means of my wallet, but if not, I would have asked for Evan’s help without hesitation. When I showed him the egg, he gazed at it for a long moment, before hugging me hard and telling me he loved it. I knew it would become one of my most cherished possessions, a symbol of our twin bond.

How could I have forgotten this? I became aware of tears running down my cheeks as I stared at the glass egg in my hand. I had no recollection of having removed it from the box, but now I clutched the prize to my chest.

“You kept my twin egg, Jacob! How can I ever thank you enough?”

His arms were around me and he kissed my hair, muttering soothing words, while I sobbed with joy for a minute or two. When I calmed down, he told me how he came to have my stuff.

“I remember when you got the glass piece. You spent so much time at those glassblowers’ shops, but this was the only time you bought anything. You only showed it to Evan, and I’m not sure anyone else knew you had it. I packed up Evan’s and your stuff after you were taken to hospital. Kristin and your mum had enough to deal with. I put the shoebox and your sketchbook in my backpack, to make sure they were safe, and I was going to give them to you. In fact, I brought both to the hospital, but your dad told me I wasn’t welcome.”

He sighed and I felt a wave of resentment towards my father. I might not have been well enough for visits in the beginning, but I’m sure I would have welcomed my older cousin cheering me up the last couple of weeks before I was flown home.

“I kept the box rather than give it to your mom or Evan because I thought I would get to see you before you left. But my university semester was insanely busy, and suddenly you’d gone back. But I told myself I would bring the box with me the next summer, when visiting Florida.”

He didn’t have to say anything else; I almost wanted to punch my father for having prevented Jacob from visiting us. Maybe things would have turned out quite differently for me and Evan if our Danish cousin had been around that summer. Well, it was useless to wonder what if, or what-might-have-been, although I was a bit surprised Evan had forgotten about the egg.

“I wonder why Evan never mentioned the glass egg to me or asked you to ship it over.”

“I wasn’t in touch with Evan before we wrote to him together. But he could have asked via our mums and I would have sent it. Perhaps he didn’t realize it had been left behind? Or he forgot about it? I mean, you did.”

I winced, but sat up and looked around for the shoebox. Jacob interpreted my need and grabbed it from the floor next to the bed. He must have put it there, while I was zoned out. The padded box for the egg was lying on top of everything else, and I gently fit the glass piece into its container.

“I want to look at the photos and my sketches, but not now. I don’t know why I can’t remember very much from last time I was here, but I think I deliberately refused to think about this egg, because it was too painful when Evan went on ahead of me. But I’m grateful it made me recall the great time I had visiting the glassblowers.”

“Fine with me, Russ, we can look at this on another day. Evan might enjoy the photos, although your mum probably has similar ones at home. Perhaps you can show them to Chris, if he hasn’t seen pictures from your last holiday in Denmark.”

I decided not to tell him I’d no idea whether we had such pictures at home or not. I avoided looking at any snapshot of me made after my fourteenth birthday, and the photo book I’d brought with me held none taken after that day. But perhaps Jacob would let me add the ones from my previous summer vacation in Denmark, if they sparked happy memories.

Jacob put everything back in the shoebox and got up to place it in the closet. I dragged the duvet away from the pillows, letting in fall on the floor, took off my T-shirt, and lay down on my side under the other duvet. When Jacob saw what I had done, he raised his eyebrows, but didn’t comment. He simply shed his own T-shirt and joined me in bed.

“I’d like to cuddle now,” I said and buried my nose in his chest. Mmmm, Jacob smelled so good.

“Any time, babe. I love when we cuddle.”

“You don’t mind me being all clingy?”

“Russ, if anything, I’m probably the clingy one here.”

I pulled back to look at him. “Honestly? But you’ve been this strong confident guy helping me out, reassuring me, ever since I arrived.”

“We haven’t discussed it much, but I have my own issues, love. I like that you need me, that I’m the most important person in your life – apart from Evan, I mean. My greatest fear would be you moving on because you’d gotten what you needed from be. But you asked me to marry you, you texted me several times today, telling me you missed me, and you came home all desperate to be with me, so right now I’m the happiest man on earth.”

Oh, wow. I’d felt a bit silly sending Jacob those – in my mind slightly whiny – texts during the day, even if he’d replied to every single one with a ‘Miss you too, love! XOXOX’ and even sent a few of his own, telling me he wished he was with me. Suddenly, one part of his little speech came back to me.

“Uhmm, Jacob? You’re more important to me than Evan, you know.”

“It’s OK, Russ, you don’t have to compare—”

“No, I mean it. Evan will always be my twin, the one who I love and rely on as family and best friend. But if I had to choose, you’d win every time, Jacob.” I kissed him, before continuing. “I’m very grateful you and Chris understand what Evan and I mean to each other and that you’re supportive about us being close. Your offer to have us live in the US, near them, made me happier than anything, apart from you agreeing to marry me. In fact, we…” I paused, not sure whether this was the right time to bring up our idea of sharing a house.

“I like Chris, he’s a great guy, and I think we’ll become good friends. And even though you and Evan may drive us crazy at times with your terrible twin act, there’s no way we’d keep you apart. Hell, Chris and I have seen how you are when separated, and more than anything we want our future husbands to be happy.” He was the one to kiss me now, to show he meant every word.

“Thank you, Jacob. Uhmm, Evan and I sort of talked about it, and we couldn’t help planning, or at least hoping…” I once more hesitated.

“Come on, out with it, Russ. Or do you want me to guess?”

“Well, you might be able to, but I not sure you’ll want—”

“Chris told me he owns the building he and Evan lives in, and the apartment next door will fall vacant by December. He’s offered to let us live there, paying only nominal rent. Does this answer your question?”

My mouth fell open and I simply stared at him. He laughed and crushed me in a warm hug.

“Silly boys. Did you really think Chris and I wouldn’t realize you and Evan want to live as close to each other at possible? This way you can see each other as much as you want; while we still have privacy for all the fun we’re going to have in and out of bed.”

He moved us so I was lying on top of him, and folded his legs around my hips. A hard column of flesh rubbed against me as he thrust upwards.

“Speaking of which… you think you’re up for round two, Russell?”

Sorry about the teaser at the end, but you did say you wanted the chapter asap.