Baby Girl
Made taco salad for me and the bug. Everything you need to whip up some is on the stove in containers. Use all you want then put in the fridge. It’s bath tub then bed and I’m gonna crash.
He smirked to himself as his thumbs flew across the screen.
[Text Message]
Jessie
Sounds delicious, we’re heading home soon. If I miss you, I’ll come give both my girls a goodnight kiss when I get in. Sleep tight.
Jessie raised a hand, and his boys snapped their attention to him. He nodded to the door. Nik trudged forward, his heavy work boots dragging across the glossy floor. Rex knocked knuckles with Zavros before frolicking to meet up with Jessie. “How’d it go?”
“Zrazduel showed me something interesting. We’re going to get some shut eye, then I need you at the shop tomorrow. I’ve got to go pay a visit to a certain lemon selling jackass.” Jessie tucked away his phone as the three left the main foyer of the casino. There was still a sea of bodies everywhere, Knox’s business always a buzzing bee hive. Thankfully, people tended to step aside when a massive minotaur walked like he was on a mission with two big muscle men on his heels. They passed slots and tables and trays of bar drinks, but something gave him pause. He stopped on his hooves, staring at one of the vendors at thefront door selling individual roses in plastic. He grabbed Rex and Nik by the arm, forcing them to hit the brakes before walking over. Dropping off a handful of coin, he took one ruby red rose for Katarina and a baby pink one for Isabella.Plus one more.Nik furrowed his brows, eyeing him with confusion as he returned with his newest spoils.
“You starting a garden?” Nik teased with a loud, jaw cracking yawn.
“Nah, just wanting to surprise the girls with a rose.” Jessie winked at his best friend, before producing a blue rose that had purposeful black edges around its petals and a black stem. Nik blinked rapidly. Sluggishly, he took the offered rose and stared at it.Well...that was anticlimatic—oh, wait.Jessie’s eyebrows shot up on his face as Nik’s lips tugged up at the edges. Glancing up from the rose, Nik cocked his head to the side.
“Does this mean you think I’m pretty?” Nik snickered.
“I think you’re the prettiest fucking bugbear I’ve ever seen.” Jessie grinned, sauntering past him with a flirty flick of his tail against the back of Nik’s thigh.
“What do...” Nik trailed off, rushing to catch up with him. “Do I eat it?”
“What! No!” Jessie huffed.
“Then what do I do with it?” Which, in of itself, was a great question!
“I dunno, put it in a vase and appreciate it?” Jessie’s skin grew embarrassingly hot as he realized that he didn’t have a good answer. He’d never received a rose himself.What was I thinking.Jessie and Nik weren’t the kind of people who got given flowers. Their hands were too rough and edges too jagged, what did they do with sweet things like roses or forehead kisses. But, maybe, that was exactly the reason Jessie wanted to make sure Nik got one?
Nik, this whole time, walked around without a chip on his shoulder. It’s like he said,We’re both sleeping with Katarina now—cool, got it.He went with the flow and never let anything trip him up.Except for the time he got us into this whole mess by inviting her tostay with us.Nik deserved to be treated just as affectionately as Katarina. Jessie wanted to make sure he made it clear that while they were both in it with Katarina...that Katarina and Jessie were in it with Nik. That Nik was special to him.
Always has been...always will be.
Nik stopped an arm’s length from Jessie and shoved the rose back at him. Jessie groaned, “No, it’s for you.”
“I’ll just ruin it.”
“No, you won’t, it’s for you. If you crumple it up and throw it away, it’s your rose, do what you want with it. I just want to give you roses,” Jessie flung his arm about, heat racing up his chest. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t his heat. It was Nik’s baffled face.Don’t be unwelcome.It was the furrow of his brow.Don’t be disgust.It was the rose still pushed toward him.Don’t be mixed signals.Jessie was tired of this game—of wondering if Nik wanted more and being sure he would say if he did. “Nik, I’m in love with you.”
Nik stumbled back a step, mouth agape.
Jessie stared at him, waiting for Nik to say anything, but the fucker stood there with the slapped expression on his mug.That’s my answer, isn’t it.Jessie nodded, turning hoof and stomping toward his truck.It’s okay, we’ll figure it out.He wasn’t going to let his bleeding heart get trampled because he saw something where it clearly wasn’t.What kind of fool am I? No wonder you don’t want a rose. No wonder you don’t stay in bed in the morning. No wonder...no wonder.
“Jessie,” Nik bellowed his name, but the minotaur was charging to his truck. Rex stood by the door, eyes wide and confused. Jessie shook his head. Nik called his name again.No, don’t do it. Don’t turn around.If he kept his head straight, he’d get home and pretend like he didn’t just confess he loved Nik. They could go about the evening and Jessie would sleep on the couch like the fool he was.
“Damnit, Jessie, will you just fuckin’ hang on a second!” Nik roared, snatching his right arm and spinning around. Jessie stumbled into the hood of his truck before Nik pinned his backto the grill. “You can’t just go around telling people you’re in love with them and expect them to be ready to hear it.”
“I don’t! Just you!” Jessie barked, shoving Nik off him with a sharp snort.
“Fine! You can’t just go around tellingMEthat you’re in love with me and expect me to be ready to hear it!” Nik yelled louder, arms flapping up and down rapidly before he threw the rose onto Jessie’s hood.
“Why not! I’ve been in love with you for years. You don’t feel the same or something?” Jessie dropped the girls’ roses onto the hood tenderly as to not smash them before he punched Nik in the face or worse. Rex tip-toed away, typing away on his phone like he weren’t witnessing his brother blow up at his bed sharing roommate.
“I have loved you since middle school, you fucker!” Nik punched Jessie square in the center of his chest, knocking him back a step. “You’re the one who didn’t want me.”
Jessie blinked once. Then twice, and on the third blink he managed to utter, “What are you talking about?”
