He huffs out a grumpy, “Fine.”
Jay hopes that what comes next will turn that frown upside down. Easily opening the phone—no security measures either, because NixRena—and connects Spotify to the Bluetooth speakers in the room. He finds what he’s looking for and presses play.
Stay With Meby Sam Smith starts to play, and Nix’s eyes fly to his. Jay presses the next song—Photographby Ed Sheeran—and then the next, and the next, and the next until he gets to the last song, a recorded version ofForeverby Jamie Rhodes.
Jay watches as his tears fall and cause his nose to run, but he still doesn’t break eye contact with his beloved. It’s the playlist he’d made for Nix of their songs from so long ago. Songs he had handpicked for every lyric, and many from their not-quite-dates. The last song is the one he’d written just for Nix Rena, the boy he loved. A song he’d not sung for another living soul but Nix until he’d done so in the hospital room to help Nix know it was him.
“Jamie,” Nix wails before launching himself into Jay’s arms. “I–I c-couldn’t remember them all after a while. But maybe now I can.” Jay’s heart aches like he might die with those words. Music had been a huge part of who they were, and hearing Nix had endured without even that to ease him is a pain Jay can hardly fathom.
He commits in that moment that every day of their life going forward will be filled with more music than ever before. “I’ll add some new ones for you, too. Is that okay? I wanted this one to be like old times, but I already have a list of new ones to add.”
“Yes—all the music. Can we leave it on? I know it’s not Christmas-y but…”
“Yeah. We can.” Jay puts the phone on the table, where Nix can see the art he’d made for the playlist. He doesn’t point it out, because it’s not something for anyone else but the two of them. Someday, Nix will recognize the cartoon portrait Jay had added—a recreation of that cheek-kiss photo. Maybe not today, or even soon—but Jay doesn’t mind waiting. For Nix, he’d wait forever.
AsLove Me Like You Doby Ellie Goulding starts up, Finn finds his gift under the tree. He hands Luca the plain white envelope with an awkward, crooked smile. “It’s kind of stupid, Luca. But…yeah.”
“For me?!” He throws his arms around the doctor’s neck and kisses him all over his face until Finn laughs.
He blocks Luca’s kisses with a hand covering the entirety of Luca’s face. “Just open it, doofus.”
Luca pulls open the sealed flap as gently as he can. It is uncharacteristically gentle from the guy who once ripped the gift inside while tearing open the box of his last Christmas gift. When he pulls it out, it’s a neat stack of papers stapled at one end.
“Oh, Finn,” he whispers, clutching the small book to his chest. “It’s perfect. Thank you so much.” He throws himself into Finn’s arms, whispering words Jay can’t hear but which make the alpha smile wide enough that Jay can see his back teeth.
“Can I see what it is, baby?” Nix asks.
Luca just holds it out so his mates can pass it around from person to person.
Gideon snorts as he passes it to Jay. He holds it so that he and Nix can look at it together. It’s a painstakingly hand-drawn coupon book. It reads:This entitles Luca Wilde to ONE night in Finn Merritt’s bed for a sleepover on an occasion of his choosing.
“Wow,” Nix murmurs.
Wow, indeed.Finn doesn’t entertain in his bedroom, and only on rare occasions. It’s his quiet Zen space, where he can be as tidy and as organized as he likes with absolute silence. Only Nix has an open invitation, as far as he knows, but the only time Luca had spent there is still at the top of Luca’s list of envied privileges. That he would give twenty-five such invitations is a big deal. “Look.” Nix points to the tiny fine print:
Luca Wilde must leave his day clothes at the door. Bathing first is preferred. No wet hair.
Jay cannot be blamed for laughing out loud before he hands the booklet to Grayson and Rowan.
Tsuki gives him a disapproving nip to his sweatpants, but when he tries to check her audacity, she pretends (he’s sure she’s pretending) to be asleep.
“You’re so lucky, Luc. The envy of us all,” Nix praises, smiling until Finn’scheeks are red.
“Okay, that’s enough of that. Who’s next?”
Jay’s surprised when Nix stands up. “Me.” He’s pale, and he’s pulled his scent in all the way.
Leo gets up and exits into the right wing hall, returning with a mic stand and their smallest speaker.
Grayson presses stop on theNix & Jamie Playlist, muttering, “Holy shit” under his breath.
Holy shit was right. Nix was going to sing. And given his unfaltering gaze, it was going to be to him. He’s not going to survive this, he’s not. Already his nose is stinging with unshed—correction, soon-to-be-shed—tears. It doesn’t help when Nix smilesthesmile he reserves just for him.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Nix Rena. Thanks for coming today,” he jokes and adjusts his microphone on the stand. “I’d like to start by thanking Leo Costas for helping to arrange this song.” Leo takes a bow and sets up his mic stand. “He’ll be helping with some of the harmony and hard parts since this is my very first time singing for you. Probably my last.”
“Woo! Go, baby!” Luca shouts.
“Okay, enough jibber-jabber. I wrote this for you, Jamie. Because…well…because. Hit it, Leo.”
