A part of him was screaming that fear was ridiculous, but he’d run home to Callen.
Not.
Him.
That had to mean something, right? That had to be problematic.
“Would you have consummated a relationship with him when you were younger, had you known then what you know now? When you were single?”
Well, shit.
This was a delicate dance around something taboo and kept locked in the shadows.
But the bottom line was this.
He’d always known.
There was always a piece of him that understood that connection between him and Callen. He just never thought it was that.
“I don’t know if I can accurately answer that,” he stated. “I’m a pervert on a good day, and so is he. Maybe. We were so alone at the time and fighting against everything but each other. Possibly. I won’t lie to you and say no, because I simply don’t know. Ethan then, and Ethan now are two different animals.”
Gene kept showering.
And not looking at him.
That hurt Ethan, but he’d helped create this mess by coming here and not staying in DC for Gene to find him.
Finally, Gene spoke.
“I can’t compete with him. I know how much you love him. I can’t lie either, EJ. That scares me.”
Ethan didn’t know what to say.
Honestly, there was no competition. He loved Gene so much that he couldn’t comprehend loving anyone else.
Did he have feelings for Callen?
Yes.
Would he act on them?
No.
Instead, he’d bury them, and hopefully, twenty years from now, if he was married to Gene and happy, he could head home to deal with it then.
Because now, he wasn’t equipped. That he wasn’t horrified and disgusted told him plenty.
He did have feelings for Callen.
Moving closer, Ethan was curious.
“Why do you have to compete with him? I won’t ever leave you.”
Gene looked over.
“You left me once. It could happen again. Not only did you leave me, but you ran home to him. Now that I know what is between you both, that terrifies me.”
Ethan moved into the shower and wrapped his body around Gene’s holding him.
