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Rolling his eyes, Derek leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “Tell me about it. Do you have any idea how much shit I get for showing up to work smelling like patchouli?”
“I have never, ever in my life put patchouli on you,” Will complained, tossing a cracker at Derek’s head.
“Mhm, whatever you say, babe.” Derek grinned and nudged Oliver in the side with his elbow. “So, how’s work?”
“Not changed since we had drinks on Wednesday,” Oliver said. He glanced over at the table and saw the gaudily wrapped gifts. “What did you get Leo?”
“That hideous black dress with the cat on it he was eyeing last month,” Will replied, pouring some sort of ugly, brown lotion on Gabriel’s hands. “The one he wouldn’t stop going on about.”
“And that set of books,” Derek added. “And a bottle of two-hundred-dollar scotch.”
“You spoil him too much,” Oliver complained.
Gabe rolled his eyes. “You got him nine-hundred-dollar Louboutin’s.”
Oliver flashed two fingers up at his boyfriend. “They were on a sale. And I’m his brother. I’m supposed to do the too-expensive shit. And anyway, he got me and you a seven-night stay in Hawaii, so I owe him at least five more pairs of nine hundred dollar stilettos.”
Gabe smiled at the memory of their last holiday and shrugged before going back to his conversation with Will. Oliver smiled and looked over at Derek who was watching his own boyfriend with some fondness.
“You know, two years of blissful happiness later, and I haven’t even gotten a gift basket or anything,” Oliver complained.
Derek blinked. “For what? A random invite to a shitty bar? I like to think the universe would have thrown us together anyway.”
“No one appreciates me around here,” Oliver groaned.
Before anyone could reply, the front door opened, and Leo stepped in. He was bright-eyed, looking nice in his ripped jeans and white t-shirt, and he had his arm threaded through his new girlfriend’s. Oliver had met her a few times and thought she was wonderful. Her name was Emily, a grad student at Stanford going into biochemistry, coming along just as Leo’s relationship with his boyfriend Max was falling apart. They seemed good for each other, and Oliver couldn’t have been happier about it.
“Nice James Dean thing you’ve got going on,” Oliver said as he yanked his sibling into a hug.
“Arse,” Leo replied, kissing Oliver on the cheek.
Emily nudged Leo. “I told you everyone was going to think James Dean.”
“What the hellareyou going for?” Oliver questioned.
Leo flushed, and Emily rolled her eyes. “He’s been on a Grease kick lately.”
“Oh Christ,” Oliver muttered. “I’m getting a drink before I get into any of that. Anyway, happy birthday, you shit. I’m glad you’re here.”
Leo hugged him again, then eyed the presents. “I hope you know I’m not waiting for food to open these.”
Gabriel, finally done with his inspection of Will’s funky bath products, slid across the kitchen to put his arm around Oliver’s waist. Leaning his head on Gabe’s shoulder, the pair watched as Leo tore into his gifts, all-but crying over the dress, and the noise he made over the shoes could hardly be considered human.
Oliver smiled, turning his head to kiss Gabe on the cheek, and was rewarded with a gentle squeeze around the hips. “Reckon he likes it all?”
“I think so,” Gabe said, laughing when Leo kissed the side of the black heel. Looking up at his boyfriend, Gabe’s dark eyes shone with affection. “Happy?”
Oliver looked at him for a very long time, letting the emotions crash through him before his tongue formed around the words. A soft smile turned the corners of his mouth up, and he leaned his head in to whisper in his boyfriend’s ear, “There’s not a word for what I am. But yes. I am very, incredibly happy.”
Gabriel smiled and turned his head for a kiss. “Good,” he mumbled against Oliver’s lips.
Pressing their foreheads together, Oliver smiled again. “Yeah, it is rather. Very, extremely good.”
The End
