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He puts his pants back on again and reaches for his newest silk kimono. “Nooo, don’t go,” Harry whines and clings to him, again .
James closes his eyes and sighs. Of course he doesn’t want to go. “I’m already late,” he says instead.
The full lips, he was locked to just minutes ago, press new delicate wet kisses against his neck, making it even harder to get out of bed.
Five more minutes had already turned into an hour. The insatiable appetite they have for each other never knows any bounds. He’s been busy with a court case all week. He even had to work late on Harry’s birthday, cutting their time together short, and he’s trying to make up for it. But they still have a lot of catching up to do.
“You can call in sick. We can have a duvet day, watch some movies, have some more fun?” Harry suggests and James can hear the excitement and hopefulness in his voice.
“Some of us have to work for a living,” he quips back, feeling the brewing tension inside him. Why does he always have to ruin a good thing? There’s nothing more he wants to do than to stay at home in bed with Harry all day and forget about work and everything else.
The arms that encircle him drop down and James twists to see the predicted scowl on his boyfriend's face. “Oi, I work!” Harry exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at him.
“You post pictures of yourself on the internet,” he deadpans.
“Yeah, and who got new trainers for the whole family? New perfume? That new silky kimono you love?” Harry says, pointing to the mentioned piece of clothing hanging off the edge of the bed. The finger turns and points to Harry’s face, “Moi!”
James rolls his eyes and purses his lips together, knowing it’s all true. He probably never has to buy a new bottle of perfume ever again because of Harry's different partnership deals.
“All the spa treatments? And that cosy cottage in the Cotswold? The year-long supply of the finest Peruvians?” Harry continues listing off all the free stuff he's gotten for them and the family since he started his career online. “And the-” James holds up his hands in surrender. He has to stop his boyfriend before he seems even more ungrateful than he already does.
“Alright, alright.. maybe it’s not so useless after all,” he concedes, with a huff.
“Hey..,” Harry says softly and grabs James’s arm before he gets a chance to slide out of bed. “You know I make good money off my posts so what’s this really about?” He should have known that Harry would see straight through him. He always does.
Deep down he knows he’s overreacting. He’s being stupid, jealous and perhaps even a bit possessive. “It’s nothing, forget it,” he says hastily and leans in, placing a kiss on Harry’s lips.
It doesn’t help. His boyfriend’s eyebrows are raised, still waiting for an answer. James lets out a sigh.
“I thought you were happy when I got my degree and a good job? And I was hoping you could cut back on your hours a bit now we have two incomes,” Harry says and drags a hand over his face, clearly frustrated by James’s complaints. “Look, if you want me to drop everything and stay at home and be some kind of a housewife then-”
“I don't,” James quickly interrupts. “Besides, you’d make a terrible housewife,” he jeers, trying to take the tension off the conversation, even though he knows it will only lessen it for a few seconds.
The corners of Harry’s lips lift and the younger man snorts, pointing at him again, no hard feelings evident on his face this time around though. “Oi! I’d be offended if that wasn’t true."
The truth is he is glad Harry’s found a job he likes. He just wishes it didn’t involve so many people ogling him and making comments about him online.
“Perhaps you don’t have the most conventional occupation but you’ve become quite the successful little businessman… You know? I am very proud of you, Harry,” he confesses. He doesn’t tell him nearly enough. He still finds it hard to express that kind of sentiment sometimes.
“Then what’s the problem? James, you know you can tell me anything, right?” Harry shifts closer to him on the bed. “Don't keep everything in here,” his boyfriend begs, pressing a hand over James’s heart. “Just share stuff. Okay?” Harry's big round eyes look at him full of kindness, that beautiful soul ever evident in the things he says and does.
James looks down and takes another breath, letting it blow out through his nose. Keeping things bottled up is something he’s become an expert on since early childhood. It has proven quite hard to get himself out of that protective web even though he knows Harry is the one person in the world that would actually support him through thick and thin.
“Maybe I’m just being sentimental but.. I remember when I used to be the one you sent pictures to,” he says quietly, embarrassed that he’s so pathetic and insecure at his ripe old age.
“Aww, Nightingale. Come’ere, you old sop,” Harry says with a chuckle, taking pity on him and his insecurities. He sags into Harry’s warm embrace, holding on to him tightly. Having the younger man’s arms wrapped around him is always comforting.
“And I see the comments you get from those ‘Instagram hunks’ ,” he mutters against Harry’s shoulder where his face is burrowed against the soft naked skin. And there it is, finally out in the open, the real reason he’s being so prickly about Harry’s new career.
He does know that Harry makes good money off his fitness videos and advertisement posts online, more than he imagined those influencers could ever make. The free stuff is also convenient and saves them a lot of expenses. Their bank account is looking a lot more healthy each month now.
But Romeo and Juliet love to read the many comments out loud and look at the profiles, showing them to Harry. Even his mother joins in from time to time, joking about all the men that are willing and able, gagging for Harry. They all laugh and banter while he sits there brewing with jealousy and contempt.
When Harry had taken the classes he needed to complete his sports degree, James thought he would get a regular trainer job at the local gym. Instead, after graduation, Harry started making fitness videos and putting them online. Of course, James supported him in his endeavour, if it made Harry happy he was happy too. That's what he thought at least.
Harry’s business venture soon grew and now he feels like all Harry does is take pictures and make videos, posting them for other people's enjoyment. It felt like Harry became a hit overnight and all the worry and jealousy have been piling up since then.
James didn’t even have an Instagram account himself when it all started six months ago. At first, he had been lurking online seeing all the explicit comments Harry was receiving. When he finally downloaded the app and got an account he saw even more of them. But he could also see that Harry had clicked the heart button on almost all the comments, even replied to some.
What was he compared to those chiselled, twenty-something young men with bouncy hair and perfectly sculpted bodies at the prime of their lives? Insecurities about his own looks were constantly on his mind every time he looked in the mirror. Old, wrinkly, saggy, and thinning grey hair. How long would Harry want to stay with him when there was an ocean of younger, fitter, fish out there? He didn’t exactly have the kind of personality that made up for his declining looks either.
“So that’s what’s really been bothering ya? James, look at me.” Harry grabs his face, forcing him to look him in the eye. “I don’t care about them or their comments. Okay? You are the only one I'm interested in. Always will be.” Harry squishes James’s cheeks between his hands. He probably looks like a chipmunk but the love that radiates through Harry’s shining eyes looks upon him as if he’s the most handsome man in the world. “There's no contest. Alright? I love you , more than anything . You must know that by now?” Harry squishes his cheeks in even more, emphasising his words.
“I do,” he replies softly through his pouting lips, feeling emotional after such a love confession. Harry breaks out in a toothy smile and kisses him tenderly. “I love you,” James tells him as their lips part. He loves him more than Harry could ever imagine.
“Good.” Harry grins, letting his cheeks go and pushes the new kimono into James’s hands instead. “Now put this on.”
“Weren’t you trying to undress me mere seconds ago?” he asks, confused by the sudden shift in Harry’s intent. The younger man has always been an expert at undressing him after all.
“Yeah, but I wanna post a pic of my sexy boyfriend in his new kimono. Go on.” Harry grabs his phone, holding it up, ready for a photo session.
He slips into the silky fabric, tying it loosely around his waist. “You posted one last week, isn’t that enough?” After Harry receives a promotional product he always has to advertise it online and sometimes that includes James and the new items together.
“I would post pics of you twenty times a day if you’d let me, ya know? I want everyone to know how lucky I am to have you,” Harry says and takes his hand, squeezing into it affectionately.
The pit of his stomach flutters happily hearing such words of affirmation. Harry’s love for him is unlike anything he’s ever experienced. He always wants to show him off and let people know they’re together. Never once ashamed or embarrassed or asking him to behave differently than his own self.
His boyfriend is always mentioning him, and how happy James makes him, in his various online posts. It’s the part he should be concentrating on instead of some sordid comments left by accounts with weird usernames with strings of numbers in them.
He leans back against the pillows, propped up on an elbow. “Oh, yeah, you’re perfect, babe!” Harry grins and snaps shot after shot as James poses and puts on his best smouldering look for the occasion.
Harry holds up the new post to him for approval before sending it off on the interwebs. Of course, Harry has picked out the picture where James looks more sweet than sinful. But the captions and hashtags aren’t what he expected. There are no ads, no ‘links in bio’ text or tagged promotion. It’s just a post about James and Harry’s feelings for him.
Photo Caption: My boyfriend looking extra sexy this morning meaning he's not allowed to go into work cos I want him all to myself ❤️ #mylove #mynightingale
He gives his seal of approval and Harry grins happily, clicking the post button and then he puts the phone away on the bedside table.
“These colours look brilliant on ya.” Harry strokes his left hand over the red, black, and gold pattern of the kimono fabric. “I might even get you that smoking jacket you were eyeing, for Christmas,” Harry says, biting into his plump bottom lip, smiling at him.
James quirks his brow excitedly. “Oh? I believe you're spoiling me rotten now, Mr Thompson.”
The red and black smoking jacket with golden details had been on his mind for quite some time now. They had seen it at Harrods during a shopping trip in London a couple of months ago. He had decided not to splurge on it because he wasn’t sure when he'd ever get a chance to wear it. But he could probably think of an occasion or two where something like that would come in handy, like say roleplaying certain scenarios with his wonderful boyfriend.
“I like it, taking care of ya,” Harry smiles sweetly and then proceeds to wiggle his brows more sinfully. “In every kind of way,” he grins and winks and James feels that familiar thrill run through him. “So now..,” Harry adds and crawls over him, halfway up his lap, pulling on the lapels of the kimono. “Off with it.”
“No-no, I’m making coffee,” he laughs, feeling light and happy again now he’s finally got to unburden the worries that have been plaguing him for half the year.
“Nah, the coffee can wait. Come’ere," Harry smirks at him with that crooked little grin, seducing voice activated and the flirty glint in his eyes on full display.
“Not this time. I’m calling in sick, remember?” He peels away the hands that are wrapped around the kimono's lapels and Harry pouts adorably. “And I think we both need to replenish our energy levels. We have a very long, hard , day ahead of us after all,” James adds and smirks, gazing into those big blue eyes.
“Mmm alright, just this once, mind.” Harry cups his cheek and kisses him deeply. James almost falls back in but then the sensational man pushes him out of bed, chuckling at him. “Coffee, remember?” Harry grins, knowing just how hard he’s making it for him to go make the aforementioned coffee.
James grabs his phone and heads downstairs with a new spring in his step and a genuine smile on his lips. “Hurry back, lover!” Harry shouts as James is halfway down the stairs and the smile grows even wider.
He’s very much looking forward to today. It’s been a while since they have had a duvet day all to themselves with no interruptions. Sadly, he can’t call in sick though. Harry’s already posted the picture of him with that caption showing how non-sick he is. He’ll have to say he’s working from home, meaning he will have to make a few calls and answer some emails today.
But all that can wait until later, much later. Now he’s in a romantic mood and he’s going to treat his fantastic boyfriend to breakfast in bed.
His phone pings and he picks it up, sliding the screen open. It’s from Harry. A picture message. He grins at the photo of the naked man upstairs in bed. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
‘Sensational ,’ he texts back and licks his lips already hungry for more of the highly sensational young man. There really is no better word to describe Harry.
He puts the phone down and quickly makes scrambled eggs with stilton cheese sprinkled on top, all the while glancing over at the picture of the man he’s madly in love with. Four slices of bread disappear down the toaster and he chops up a few cocktail tomatoes while the free Peruvian coffee Harry’s landed them brews to perfection.
Maybe that influencer stuff really isn’t so bad after all, in the grand scheme of things? Harry managed to land a deal with James’s favourite brand of coffee beans a couple of months ago. He’s been able to get quite a few of James’s favourite things for free when he comes to think of it and he smiles again. Harry’s actually been spoiling him quite a bit these last six months. He’s not realised it until now, that pesky jealousy has been clouding his vision. Turns out he couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
He’s ready to grab the tray with food and head back upstairs to tell Harry how much he appreciates everything he does for him and their little family. Taking care of them in his own special way. And he’s going to tell him he agrees: he will cut back on his hours because he wants to spend more time with Harry too, just the two of them.
Another incoming text message pings out and he picks up his phone from his kimono pocket. It’s from Harry again.
‘Guess who just landed us a 5-star holiday to Verona for New Year’s! Plus tix to the opera! Just you and me. Can’t wait. Love u XXX’
James grins happily. He’s always wanted to visit Verona and their fantastic opera scene but never gotten around to it. But now Harry’s made his wish come true. It will be the perfect occasion for the smoking jacket to make an appearance, both inside and outside the bedroom. He can’t wait.
THE END