Be The Father Of This Child! - 13. Domestic Negotiations

Chapter Thirteen – Domestic Negotiations

His brain was made of cotton candy, and all his thoughts were rivers of melted fudge. April could still not get his head around what had happened earlier between him and Jett. He had had his cock sucked for the very first time in his life, and while he didn’t have a practical basis for comparison, that had had to be the absolute everything.

Jett had gone at it like April’s cock was the tastiest food in the universe. Definitely, that was not aligned at all with what April thought of Jett. His heart squeezed a little. What if Jett was lying? What if he had been with guys before? It was enough he had a caterpillar long Facebook wall of gorgeous women for April to worry about. Handling male competition, on top of it all, would be just too much.

But Jett had been serious. April would not just go and call him a liar. Maybe his dad was right, after all, and he needed to think of a way to tell Jett he was the same guy as the boy he had known at thirteen.

Maybe. The most complicated word that had to be in the dictionary. Truth be told, April was sort of scared to think of that. What if Jett got pissed? What if it was all some sort of experimentation, and being the sexual creature that he was, Jett wouldn’t care anyway? What if he ruined what could be a good thing?

And what if, just if, Jett still hated Theo? No, no, no, one hundred and eighteen reasons were telling him he didn’t need to tell Jett a thing. Maybe Jett didn’t even want to remember those times. After all, they had been only boys, and out of the blue, April/Theo had decided to kiss his friend on the lips, like in the movies. By how Jett had behaved after that, it was clear as day that, at thirteen, he didn’t appreciate being kissed by boys.

And, of course, now, at twenty, he had plenty of sexual experience not to count a little bit of gay experimentation as a threat to his sexuality.

He was just complicating things by telling, April thought. It was just in everyone’s interest if that particular thing remained hidden. If it was only fun for Jett, April could play it cool. If it were to evolve into something else – damn you, wishful thinking – then it was best for April to be sort of a brand new acquaintance in Jett’s life, not the live-action version of an awkward kid from eons ago. But that was just him projecting his secret wishes.

Either way, he needed to keep such things to himself.

April winced when something light and fluffy bounced off his head. He turned his eyes on Jett, who was having fun teaching Jay how to bombard April with popcorn. “Are you two having fun or what?”

“You’re dreaming with your eyes wide open,” Jett said and smiled lazily.

How could he think of Jett as a giant dog? Now he seemed like a giant cat, probably a lion, as he stretched, stifling a yawn.

“Well, certain activities may be strenuous. But it does Jay good to come to the park as often as possible. We might not enjoy many days as beautiful as this one.”

“You can’t count being on the receiving end of a blowjob being strenuous.”

“Hush,” April hissed at Jett, pointing at Jay. “Not in front of the baby.”

“Damn,” Jett complained, as he lay on his back, and took Jay to bounce him off his stomach, “it’s like we’re married. Okay, darling, I’ll keep the dirty talk for the bedroom.”

April just shook his head. “You’re incorrigible; you know that, right?”

Jett looked at him, and his eyes were filled with a warm light. April took out his phone and aimed it at Jett.

“Whatcha doing?” Jett drawled.

“I just want to take a picture of you,” April explained.

It was enough for Jett to extend one arm and catch him. Jett brought April close together, making him slump against him. With ease, he arranged Jay so that the baby was between them. “It’s high time for a wefie,” Jett explained.

“I don’t think we’ll manage to take any picture if we all move around like that.”

“Yeah. You should stay still or something.”

Jay reached for April’s phone, fascinated with the toy over which the grownups seemed to have a feud. Jett grabbed the phone eventually and began snapping pictures of them.

“All right, I think that’s a lot of wefies,” April said. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Just posting some on your social media. #atthepark, #withmyfamily, #justchilling, #parentingisfun, um, what should we add?” Jett seemed to ponder.

“Give me that back!” April reached for his phone.

“Oops, I think it’s all posted now,” Jett said and laughed. “Don’t make such a face. Only your friends can see your pics, right?”

“And don’t you think that’s enough for my social media suicide? What will they think?”

“Hey, your nerdy friends were all like, okay, when I kissed you in the car this morning. They won’t be surprised. Plus, they’re clearly cool dudes.”

“They are mostly girls,” April pointed out.

“All right, dudes and dudettes then,” Jett said.

April straightened up and punched Jett playfully in the shoulder. “This is really fun for you, isn’t it?”

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Jett examined him with his beautiful eyes.

April needed to stop staring into them. He had a strange tendency to lean forward and fall into them. “Maybe because it’s just a way of having fun for you.”

“What if it’s not only that?”

“If?”

“It’s not only that,” Jett said with determination.

April pulled down the zipper of his hoodie. He was getting seriously hot. “What do you mean?”

“Be my boyfriend, April. For real.”

He searched Jett’s face for any signs that the guy was pulling his leg. There were none. “You can’t be serious,” he protested feebly. “You have just so many girls on that wall and --”

“And I don’t care about any of them. I like you, and I’m not some complicated guy. What do you say?”

“I shouldn’t,” April replied and shook his head. “I don’t know what this is.”

Jett reached for him, but this time he just squeezed his shoulder in sympathy. “Why don’t we just figure it out then?”

April looked at Jett with longing. Wasn’t it what he had dreamed about since thirteen?

Jett’s face fell. “You don’t have to look so miserable. It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“Miserable? This is not my face when I’m miserable,” April protested.

“It isn’t? Then what were you thinking about?” Jett asked.

“I was thinking about … how I wish we try this,” April said, stumbling out the words like stones in his mouth.

Jett smiled. “You’re a weird dude, April Summer. Do I have to make it formal or something? Should we change our Facebook relationship status or something?”

April winced. “You know, I’m not the kind all open for this social media exhibitionism. I’d rather we be cool and keep it to ourselves.”

“Your dad knows. Your friends know.”

“Yeah, we lied to them.”

“So let’s not lie to them anymore,” Jett offered. “We just tell them the truth.”

“Which is not different from the lie we told them.”

“If this is how we roll,” Jett said with a small shrug.

“I just don’t get it how come you’re attracted to me,” April thought out loud. “I mean, men don’t just suddenly decide that they might like dudes, too.”

There was a small hesitation from Jett. “It took me about a week with you to know that. So it wasn’t sudden.”

“We knew each other literally only for several hours when you kissed me the first time.”

“Then maybe it was sudden,” Jett said, shrugging again.

“You really are uncomplicated,” April said and shook his head. “So, you just like me?”

“I just like you,” Jett said solemnly.

“You’re not just teasing me,” April added, wanting to make sure.

“Cross my heart.”

April winced a little. That expression again. “All right. Let’s give it a try, I guess.”

“Wow, good thing you’re more enthusiastic when we get naked and freaky, ‘cause I’d think I’m setting you up for torture or something.”

“It’s sort of weird, that’s all,” April explained.

“Don’t you like me, too, dweeb?”

“What’s not to like?” April snorted. “You’re any gay man’s or straight woman’s wet fantasy.”

“Besides that,” Jett said.

April studied Jett’s face carefully. It was a bit hard since Jay was just discovering how fun it was to slap his daddy’s face with one open palm. Jett pretended to bite Jay’s hand playfully, something that made the baby silent for a second, only to burst into laughter the next one.

“Besides how I look, what do you like about me?” Jett asked again.

So he wasn’t off the hook. “Other things. Like your response time.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Jett asked, and his smile was a bit crooked.

“I’m serious. It shows I can depend on you if I’m ever in trouble. And you took care of my debt, so you’re a pretty generous person, too.”

“Ah, you actually pay for that by babysitting Jay.”

“Shut up, Jett. You know what I mean,” April said, and this time he cocked his head to one side and smiled at the other. “Now it’s my turn to ask. Do you care about being boyfriends only because, you know, the physical stuff?”

“That’s part of it. Even right now, I want to kiss you.”

April blushed and cleared his voice. “Let’s not scandalize the local gentry.”

“I would if you were game.”

“I’m not,” April said, a bit too loudly.

He totally was, but it was the closest park they could go to, and Jay needed to have a place to play in the open air and see pets and other kids.

“I like your big heart,” Jett said quickly and looked away.

“My big what?” April wasn’t sure he heard it right.

“Come on, don’t make me say sappy things. It’s weird. Well, your food is edible. How’s that?”

“All right. Damn, it feels like we’re ticking things off a list.”

“Stop overthinking everything, dweeb. I like you. Let’s try this boyfriend thing.”

“Let’s,” April said and sighed.

“Just for the record, we will take the next step, right?” Jett asked.

“What do you mean?” April blinked a few times.

“You know, the bu … the home run,” Jett said, stealing a quick look at Jay.

“Home run? Do you want us to play baseball?”

Jett threw him an exasperated look. “You’re the one who says not to talk about se … stuff in front of the baby. We hit the third base, now figure out what’s next.”

“Ah,” April said as the realization hit him. “Home run. Now I get it. Wait, I don’t think I’m ready.”

“No way, dweeb. We agreed. We’re officially boyfriends. There’s no backing down now.”

“Damn,” April said and pursed his lips. “You are such a player.”

Jett smirked, probably knowing well how sexy he looked like that. “Not with you. I’m all in with you.”

“If you say so,” April replied and looked away.

“Don’t worry. Until I get the bloodwork done, you’re off the hook. But after, I’m going to be all over your … you know what? Do you think we can buy some earplugs for Jay?”

“No. You’re not getting off the hook that easily. You learn how to speak correctly in front of a baby. And you’re so going to learn how to change diapers.”

Jett fell on his back again and moaned. “Not that. Anything but that.”

“You can’t have only the good parts of being a dad.”

“All right. But don’t complain if Jay won’t like it when I do it. Buddy,” Jett said as he took Jay close, “don't you like it best when April changes your diapers? Just blink if you agree. He blinked!” He said to April, pointing at the kid.

“The sun is getting in his eyes. Of course, he blinked,” April protested.

“I could learn how to cook,” Jett offered.

“Let’s not risk food poisoning.”

“I could,” Jett seemed to ponder, “vacuum clean.”

“I guess,” April said with a sigh. “But you do know that carpets and corners are also areas of the floor that need cleaning.”

Jett made a face. “That vacuum cleaner works only on hard floors or something.”

“Literally, Jett, you only have to press that thing on top to make it work on carpets, too. It even has that design so that it glides around the corners to clean everything well.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

“I have so many things to teach you,” April said, shaking his head in mirth.

“Or it’s better if you do them. You’re better at them, anyway.”

“Ha, nice try. You won’t escape that easily.”

“Hey, I’m bringing home the dough.”

“And? We’re like some fifties commercial or something? Do you want me to put on an apron and a neurotic smile?”

“Hey, it’s like that thing with splitting work. We’re more efficient.”

April laughed. “Admit it. You’re scared of diapers.”

Jett grinned, and his eyes smiled, too. “Yeah. It’s like the scariest thing in the universe. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Magic,” April said and smiled, as well.

“I knew it had to be something about you.”

“Why? Because I made you stray from your straight ways?” April teased.

“Maybe.” Jett winked at him. “Are we ready to go home? I’m hungry.”

“You just had two hamburgers from that fast food place we went to earlier. How can you be hungry?”

“Obviously, I’m hungry for your cooking.”

“You either try to flatter me or turn me into your slave.”

“Or maybe it’s not food I want.”

April gulped and looked away.

“We’re boyfriends, so get used to it,” Jett said, and his voice was dipped in honey.

“It?” April chose to risk it.

“You know I can’t tell you what ‘it’ is in front of Jay,” Jett said with fake reproach. “But you’ll know it when you see it.”

“Okay. Then I think we’re done here,” April said and stood up.

It was totally weird and also insane on his part, but he wouldn’t say ‘no’ to Jett’s ‘it’. The past was the past. And maybe, just maybe, he could needle Jett for information on Theo and what had happened that summer, long ago, that made Jett so cold and angry. He couldn’t directly ask for it, so he would have to think of a way to learn about Jett’s true feelings. In the meantime, April believed he would have some fun. After all, there was nothing wrong with that, right?

***

Jett was over the moon, but at the same time, he knew he had to play it cool, like really cool. It was never a good idea to show the other he was too much into them since that could come off as overwhelming. So he just hooked one arm over April’s shoulders as they walked into the house.

It felt good even if they just stood so close to each other. It was enough to feel April next to him, and it was like everything was right in the world. At first, he had been pissed at April, at his hippy name, and how much he looked like Theo. But it had been what had drawn Jett to him, so that could not be discarded that easily.

April only looked like Theo. No, he almost had the same personality, too. But those things didn’t matter. April was April, and Theo was Theo. And Jett needed to be careful about slips of the tongue. He needed to make it so that April never learned about Theo; Jett didn’t want April to think that he was some replacement for someone from his past. It was enough that April knew what a ladies’ man he was.

Correction. What a ladies’ man he had been. So few times before he had felt he could make things work with someone else. Carina had been … he wouldn’t think of her now. She was part of the past, and nothing else. And right now, all he wanted was to focus on April and truly make things work.

Zane would laugh at him so hard; Jett was sure of it. But it was like, with April, everything fell into place. For the last days, he had been horny, challenged, slightly pissed, but pretty much excited with everything around him like he could not remember feeling in a while.

Now all he needed was to keep Zane away from April as much as he could. At least, until Jett could tell Zane to keep his mouth shut about Theo.

They were barely inside and getting out of their shoes when there was a short rap on the door. It was slowly getting dark outside, and usually, evening visitors often had only a couple of things in mind. They were either girlfriends or … frigging Zane.

“Could you get the door?” April asked as he struggled with the straps of the carrier to get Jay out.

“Hush,” Jett whispered and moved quickly as if he were about to hide behind the door. “Who the hell comes visiting at this hour? Just let them leave, whoever they are.”

April stared at him, and his eyes thinned. “It’s just a little after seven. It may be a little late for Jay, but still. Just get the door.”

Jett remained unmoved. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t text Zane this fast, and he couldn’t explain things with April around. “Aren’t you going to take Jay upstairs? He needs a change of diaper, I bet. Phew, I can tell from here.”

April appeared to become even more suspicious. “Is it one of your girlfriends? Ah, sorry, don’t let me get in the way.”

“It’s not one of my girlfriends!” Jett raised his voice, and then almost bit his tongue.

A second round of knocking followed, and this time, when he didn’t react, April just reached for the door and opened it, with a pretty pissed expression on his cute face.

An expression that instantly changed into surprise.

“Hey, beautiful,” Zane’s drawl could be heard. “Is Jett home?”

April looked behind the door at him. “Let me see if he still needs to hide, seeing how it’s not one of his girlfriends at the door.”

“I’m Zane, Jett’s friend,” the visitor offered. “And you are?”

Jett came out of hiding – which was totally not what he was doing – not at all prepared for Zane and his big mouth, but determined to stop him from saying anything.

“Hey, man,” he said, and Zane walked inside and hugged him like usual.

He had interrupted April from telling his name, and he had a smidge of hope that Zane would be all business-like tonight so that he didn’t feel the need to get cozy.

“I see you got yourself a housemate,” Zane said, looking at April again. “Two, actually.”

“Hi, I’m --” April started.

“I’ll be damned!” Zane exclaimed.

It was like one of those moments when an accident happened, and all you could do was sit there and stare. Jett reached for Zane, hoping to make him stop, but Zane dodged him with ease, bent on ruining things, the idiot.

Zane grabbed April and looked him in the eyes. “Theo, is that you?”

***

April gaped like a fish. He hadn’t been prepared for this. So this attractive guy was Zane. The moment he had answered the door, April had to admit that he had been a little surprised. Zane was almost as tall as Jett, but unlike him, he was more slender and had the charm of a fifties movie rebel hero, with his leather jacket, dark jeans, and midnight eyes staring at others through a fringe of curly eyelashes. The hair on his head was smoothed back, slick as only an experienced hairdresser could make it be, with only one, apparently rebellious curl dropping over a tall forehead, just because.

But that wasn’t the biggest shock. Why the hell was Zane calling him Theo? April was lost for words.

“He’s not Theo, moron,” Jett said roughly. “His name is April.”

“Really?” Zane asked, and he looked hard at April, with something akin to amusement in his dark as sin eyes. “I would have bet --”

“Take your fucking bet and shove it up your ass,” Jett said and frowned.

“Seriously, dude? What crawled up yours?” Zane asked, finally releasing April, who was still in a bit of shock.

But he was getting his bearings back, and he needed to clear the air. “Guys, there’s a baby here. How about you two stop yelling profanities at each other?”

Zane looked at him, and he seemed unconvinced. “April, huh?”

“Yeah, April Summer,” April offered his hand boldly. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you.”

“Really? Probably you haven’t talked to Jett about me, then,” Zane laughed. “And why so formal? I don’t remember a dude telling me it was nice to meet me in forever.”

“Probably because you never stuck around to get a fair review on your ass fucking abilities,” Jett said.

“Ass fucking,” April mumbled under his breath. “I’m just going to take Jay away from this polluted atmosphere.”

“Jay?” Zane’s attention turned on him again. “That’s the little fellow? Is he kin to you, April? Don’t tell me he’s yours?”

“Actually --” April started.

Zane nudged Jett playfully with his elbow. Jett grunted as Zane’s elbow connected with his ribs. Apparently, the nudge hadn’t been too playful, after all. “Jett, what the hell are you doing with such a beautiful boy under your roof? Don’t think that the fact that he’s straight and has a baby will stop me from trying my luck.”

“How about a punch in the face from me? Will that stop you?” Jett said menacingly.

Zane’s eyes grew wide. “What the hell, man? I was just kidding. And let your housemate decide if he wants to go out with me.”

April shook his head. He had to be in some strange dream. “Actually --” he started again.

“That baby is mine, and April is my boyfriend,” Jett said.

Zane stood there for a moment in stunned silence. “Is this some April’s Fool joke?”

April rolled his eyes. His name came up in conversation when it was and wasn’t about him. “It’s true.”

Zane looked at him again and grinned. “Oh, then allow me to congratulate the lovely couple. Are you guys up for a threesome, or is it too early?”

April bit his lips hard, trying not to laugh out loud. Zane was a riot. “Definitely too early.” He was almost tempted to make a joke about having to watch porn to get things going but stopped. That was pretty intimate, and by Jett’s eyes, burning in flames now, it was better if he just saw about Jay, who was giving signs of restlessness because of all the ruckus around him. “I should see about Jay and his diaper,” he said as he bounced off Jay in his arms, to soothe him.

“Sure,” Zane said. “Hope to see you around, April.”

“Yeah, me too.”

***

“Can’t you fucking text or call before coming over?” Jett exploded, the moment April was gone.

“I sent like five texts and called twice.” Zane shrugged.

Jett pulled out his phone and frowned. His battery had died, and he hadn’t even noticed or cared. April was fucking up his head real good, not that he was complaining.

Zane wanted answers, too. “What the hell was that, dude? Are you sure that’s not Theo? He looks exactly like Theo.”

Jett pursed his lips. “And how do you know that, huh?”

“Because of that picture you showed me. Yeah, he’s like several years older now, but still. The resemblance is fucking uncanny.”

“Just stop talking,” Jett warned. “And don’t ever mention that name in this house again if you don’t want to piss me off.”

“Aren’t you in a mood? Don’t tell me. You didn’t get laid today or something.”

“Stop being an asshole, Zane. Just don’t mention that fucking Theo ever again.”

“All right, jeez. April is damned fine, though.”

“Yeah, he is. Just in case I wasn’t clear, hands off. Okay?”

“Sure. Ready? We have a job.”

“Sure.”

***

That fucking Theo, April said to himself, as he stood hidden at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping. He had been right. Jett was pissed at Theo and had always been. So, he really needed to keep his mouth shut about it. Even if it felt even more wrong now.

TBC