Chapter Text
It was a nice morning in the Moon System’s headspace, if time was ever an issue for those who weren’t hosting at the moment. Exactly seven days before the New Year’s Eve.
The trio had already welcomed the New Year, focusing solely on the three of them for that two-day observance. They celebrated Rosh Hashanah with a fine selection of kosher wines, lots of honey-apple punches, about a ton of dates each and homemade seitan brisket with a side of tzimmes. But fireworks had always been Steven’s guilty pleasure, so they decided to have a little fun on December 31st as well, which made the aforementioned alter very much satisfied.
In the cosy confines of the pyramid-shaped attic room, highlighted to the extreme by the British alter’s imagination, surrounded by ancient Egyptian artefacts and scattered books, half-read or left open on the first pages, Steven reclined against a mound of flat pillows, all of the fluff in them long crushed by the weight of his head and shoulders pressed heavily against them. The air was filled with the faint scent of aged paper and the soft rustle of pages as he immersed himself in a book that might never be finished.
Jake was there with him, nestled comfortably in Steven's arms, with his back bared to refreshing gusts of gentle wind swirling across the room from the window opened just a smidge.
The light of the New Moon high in the morning sky seeped through the triangular windows, brightening up the room's eclectic decor, and allowing specs of dust to float in the air visibly to the human eye.
As Steven’s eyes were trained on textured pages, the lines between their own created reality and imagination blurred, painting a surreal picture of the fusion of two worlds in the middle of the safe haven they called home.
The warm breeze that rustled the curtains was dry, carrying in its embrace a faint fragrance of Egyptian sand covering Chicago’s skyscrapers outside. Steven loved every detail of their mind palace, they all did; from the rich textures of the artefacts scattered across the room to the soothing scents that filled the air. His fingers trailed across the leather-bound tome in his hands, pausing every now and then to carefully turn a page.
The gentle murmur of thoughts echoing within the cosy attic apartment provided a space simply perfect for just being there, away from all worries of the outer world. A place where Steven and Jake could truly be themselves and do as they wished.
Jake, on the other hand, was completely absorbed by other aspects of their shared moment, the warmth of his partner’s arms around him and the steady beats of his heart against his chest where Jake lay. No responsibilities weighing on his shoulders just yet, no other places to be at the moment, no aches to deal with. But, despite all that, somehow his mind was wandering. There has been one thing that’s been bothering him for quite some time now, and he had to admit it’d started eating him away, an itch he couldn’t seem to scratch away.
He bit his lower lip, sighing heavily, a puff of hot air hitting the softness of Steven’s chest under the layer of a navy blue sweater.
Steven turned to look at Jake, the sudden rustling of the pages stopping and a pointer seizing its movements following the text as he lowered the book to rest on his stomach. A warm, loving smile spread across his lips as he looked at his boyfriend.
"Jake dear? What's wrong? Something bothering you?" he asked gently.
„It’s nothing…” Jake replied flatly but his hold on the other man’s waist tightened once that statement entered the space around them. His voice sounded strained as he buried his face into Steven's shoulder, the tension in his body increasing ever so slightly, to which Steven sighed and started rubbing soothing circles into the other man’s back.
"Alright, but it is something, innit? I know you," he whispered, his lips lost somewhere in messy curls smelling of sandalwood and tobacco. "You’re upset about something."
At hearing the proof Grant could see right through him, as always, Jake hesitated. He didn’t dare to look up, his face still resting on Steven’s soft sweater.
"Love, look at me,” Steven tried again, his request expressed gently as if his main goal was not to startle his partner. "Whatever it is we can work it out, so you can stop shifting nonstop and finally get some much-needed rest."
Jake was always a little bit more reserved around feelings, it was a (quite toxic if you asked him) trait shared by both him and Marc, but to try and keep them bottled up was simply something Steven wasn't gonna let happen that day. Not when they were supposed to embrace their laziness without any consequences for once. He let go of the book completely, putting it away on their nightstand, instead wrapping his other arm around Jake in a mere attempt to comfort him.
It worked, of course, it worked- it always did. One thing that could be said about Steven’s partners was that they were quite responsive and reacted positively to his touch.
Jake sighed once again, his eyes fluttering shut before he let out a single exhale carrying weeks’ worth of stress. At least that was Grant’s wild guess, since he couldn’t actually calculate it.
„It’s…” the man began, the tone of his voice sounding unusually small, „you know the way we all work, you being with me and Marc being with you.”
"Yeah, I know." Steven nodded and rubbed his thumb soothingly over his lover’s back, this time pressing a little harder into a particularly tense muscle. "Kinda have to, since I’m quite a big part of it, right? Being in the middle and all that,” he added, completely unnecessarily but that was just him and his very own charm of overexplaining. “What about it?" Asking, he looked down at Jake expectantly, his brow furrowing slightly. He knew Jake well enough to know that he was going somewhere with this and his curiosity was starting to get the better of him. “Jakey..?”
„Well, I was wondering, kind of,” Jake muttered almost quietly enough for the other not to even hear it, “about how this love triangle worked for us…”
"What do you mean?" An expression of confusion crossed Stevens’s face, he didn't understand what Jake was talking about.
As far as he knew, their type of relationship suited them all, they were all happy and content with Jake and Marc being loved and Steven getting double love from them. He always tried to give them both an equal amount of affection and time, adapted perfectly to their needs and styles of living, and never once showed any of them he appreciated the other more. It was bulletproof in his eyes that widened all of a sudden, as everything fell into place.
"Jake..." Steven whispered. "Jake, are you jealous of Marc?"
„No, Steven, I’m not,” the other assured immediately, sounding very much tired of this conversation already. „Well, not in the way you’re probably thinking,” he added then, his face twisting at the way those words tasted on his tongue. This was just madness, he felt deep in his gut. What was happening to him?
His alter’s eyes narrowed, it was clear the man wasn't getting the full story yet. "And what way am I thinking, actually?" he asked. "And what way are you thinking?” he added immediately, even more curious. “Are you afraid I will choose Marc over you or something?" he continued softly, trying to hide his surprise. At that moment, he was honestly a little bit hurt at the thought of Jake thinking he wasn’t good enough, but that couldn't be it, that wouldn't make any sense, would it? His partners weren’t like that; sure, they were a little possessive, but they were also respective over Steven’s loyalty to them both, so whatever the problem was, it wasn’t that.
„No, it’s just…” Lockley muttered, frustrated as he confirmed his boyfriend’s thoughts. He finally looked up then, his fingers pressing firmly into the skin of Steven’s hip. „I’ve been wondering if–”
"If what?" Steven interrupted, his impatience getting the better of him. A faint breeze from the open window blew through the room, stirring the air a little bit. "You can tell me, love, I won’t judge." A warm smile dawned on Stevens’s face as he tried to reassure Jake. He would one hundred per cent judge whatever Jake had to say but he would do this in silence and privacy of his own mind, of course; something the other didn’t need to know.
„If I could perhaps complete it,” was what Jake blurted out, uncertainty staining his cheeks with a faint blush. „The triangle, I mean. Of us,” he then added, clearing up what could otherwise go unnoticed.
His words struck Steven like lightning. Utterly speechless, his heart rate picked up and his mind went to a million places at once, so overwhelmed by this unexpected discovery that he just stared at Jake in awe for a moment, a faint smile spreading across his lips.
A moment way too long for Jake’s liking, clearly, cuz the man cleared his throat before speaking again, desperately wanting to fill in the silence between them. „Do you think… uh, do you think Marc would want to be… with me?” he asked tentatively, then winced at himself once those words hit his ears.
"Jake!" Steven couldn't help but exclaim. His eyes widened as the idea of a full love triangle dawned on him. "I think that would be a wonderful idea!" he said, sounding positively giddy.
He looked at Jake, fully expecting this to be good news, but Jake's expression still looked tense and uncomfortable. "Is everything okay? You seem a little..." he paused, searching for the right word, "nervous?"
„Because I am, Steven.”
"Oh dear..." Steven replied, still rubbing circles into Jake's back as he thought hard. It was true Jake was an anxious person, as much as he would try to deny or hide it under his thick shell of exaggerated confidence or his armour of unbeatable pride, but this seemed to be more than his usual worry. There was something bigger going on there and Steven was determined to figure it all out. "Is there... Is there a reason for you to be nervous, mate?" Steven finally asked, stammering just a tad bit, trying to conceal it with the sound of his nails gently scratching the bridge of his nose. "Did something happen that makes you think Marc might not like you back?"
Jake scoffed, his face once again falling to rest on his partner’s chest in a desperate attempt to get that warm comfort. His breathing was steady yet quick.
„I don’t know…” he voiced out. „I just, I don’t see how he’d like me, romantically speaking.”
"You worry too much." Grant’s voice was soothing when he said that, almost fatherly. "Marc is a bit of a shy lad himself, and you might not realize just how sweet of a bean you are." Steven was smiling, his eyes closed, his thoughts racing due to his desperate need to help his alters out. "He might not admit it outright, and he most likely won’t, but I am, like, 90% sure Marc likes you. I've caught him looking at you more than once and he always lights up when he sees you, his eyes get those fun sparkles in them."
„The fuck you’re talking about?” Jake asked, confused. The tone of his voice might be sharper than he intended, which the other seemingly didn’t mind as he didn’t even flinch. „Steven, he does that to you, not me,” he corrected him. „I annoy him.”
"You do." Steven agreed right away, nodding to himself. "You do annoy him." He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Jake's forehead, his lips straightening concerned lines there. Then he added quietly, "But I think he enjoys it."
„Yeah, right…” was all Jake responded with, the tone of his voice irritated but not necessarily in a bad way, just generally bothered by the situation he had gotten them in.
"Jake." Grant tried again, and this time his tone changed, it had a much more serious, almost authoritative tone than he usually only used with Jake when he really needed his point to make it through his alter’s thick skull. "Jake. Listen to me and listen to what I am saying. Marc's a bit of a tough nut to crack, we both know that, but what’s also true is that you bring out feelings in him that no one else can."
Something about the way Stevens’s eyes met his made Jake's heart drop at that moment. He also suddenly became very aware of how much he liked Marc, and just how much he wanted him to like him back, which was a bit unusual to him, causing him to be uncertain about how it made him feel deep down. His breathing was getting quicker, he felt flustered and confused and unsure of what to do.
„If, and that’s a keyword, if he likes me, how do I…” Jake paused, not really having gathered the right words yet out of his storming mind. His hands never stopped stroking Steven’s hip. „How do I get him?” he asked, his manner of speaking dangerously close to stammering a little. „What do I do?”
At that, Steven gave himself some time to think it through, humming in the process.
“Well, considering Marc is like a stray cat… which checks out cuz you like cats," he began his explanation then, rubbing his fingers through Jake's hair, a hint of amusement staining the tone of his voice, "he wants to be held and petted, but he's also very much afraid that if he asks for it, he will be pushed away. Who else would know it better than you, right? You’re both a couple of dum-dums when it comes to this, I’ll tell you that."
He beamed, noticing the eye roll Jake was giving him before he continued.
"I say you make the first move," he suggested. "Do something to show him that you fancy him, in a way that he and all his four high walls might understand."
„That’s exactly what I’m worried about, I don’t know how to do that,” Jake grunted out in response, complaining aloud, though it all came out a little muffled into the navy blue fabric he pushed his face into once again. „You were much easier, you basically hopped into my arms, no questions asked.”
"Yeah, Marc is a tad harder to read than me, isn’t he?" Steven replied quickly, with a small chuckle gracing the atmosphere around them. "You know how in certain mythologies, the moon god, or the sky god, is a romantic figure who woos the maidens and seduces them?" he mentioned as a form of a base for his further logic, a small blush spreading onto his face as he spoke. "Do that for Marc, I reckon. He wants to feel desired, so show him that."
A puff of air was firstly inhaled by Jake at the sound of this idea, then held in his lungs despite his open mouth, twisted in confusion as his brows were knitted, to finally be let free by a heavy sigh directed straight into the Englishman’s pyjama sweater. „I understood nothing from that.”
Steven laughed at Jake's honesty. "The moon gods, or goddesses for what it’s worth, are seen as someone who romances their desired ones, or at least tries to," he explained, hopeful it’d bring more light into his train of thoughts. "Marc likes feeling desired, though it makes him a little flustered but eh, some stuff you simply cannot avoid when it comes to him.” After that he simply shrugged, not a care in the world for that aspect in him.
Sometimes Jake was truly amazed by how well this man seemed to know them, it even scared him a little bit if he was being honest with himself - this was one of those moments. Even if he appreciated the help, it all sounded unfamiliar and it made him wonder how his partner had managed to pick up more information about things like that than he had.
Once Steven was done with his speech, visibly satisfied with it, he bit his lip as his thoughts raced once more. "Why does Marc get you so flustered?” he couldn’t help but inquire, concern seeping throughout every pore in his skin. “You’re always so confident with everyone, doesn’t matter if you like them or not, so what’s your deal with Marc?"
„I don’t know, he’s just…” Jake shrugged, unsure what he wanted to say. „Different, I guess.”
"Yeah, he kinda is, isn’t he?” Landed in response to his worries, the tone of voice admitting it soft, carrying a note of amusement. “Because he’s a mystery, right?" Steven asked as he gently traced his fingers across Jake's bare arm. "And you wish to crack that mystery," he whispered seductively in Jake's ear, the suddenness of the change in his approach visibly startling his partner. Despite feeling the shudders running down Jake’s spine and the grunt the man let out, he continued, making sure his lips brushed lightly over his earlobe in the process. "But you are scared that you will fail. And with no way to know, you are stuck in this limbo of indecision. Do you want to know a secret?" he asked in the end, so smoothly Lockley almost didn’t register it, too busy enjoying the closeness and his unexpected boldness. What Jake could very easily recognize was the tone of Steven's voice; the way his boyfriend’s usual kindness sprinkled with specs of embarrassment gave way to playful tease.
„¿Qué secreto?” Jake’s ears perked at hearing that, the man’s eyes then lifted to the other’s level in search of answers to all of his questions. He looked a little bit like a child listening to their parent telling them about Tooth fairy for the first time.
„I actually have no idea how you can get through to him,” Steven said flatly, and only then a little of his typical embarrassment cracked his playful demeanour. “I don’t remember what I did to get his attention, I just sort of, did it. Maybe I did something that impressed him enough, maybe it was just my bottom… No idea.”
Once he saw Jake’s face drop, he took a moment to think. „I suggest you listen to your feelings, Jakey. You’re smart and the heart knows more than the mind does. And, dare I say, you’re naturally more flirtatious than me,” he added, letting out a small chuckle with that. “Marc is a complicated man, but if he likes you, I am sure he will find a way to show it. You might just need to know what to look for.”
Jake breathed out, disappointment dawning on him heavily. This wasn’t what he had been hoping for, this led him nowhere.
„You can’t sell me even one idea?” he tried, the tone of his voice hesitant, as if he already knew the answer to his question. Judging by the pitiful smile the other gave him after, he was right.
„Oh, I can always sell you ideas,” Steven quickly joked in an attempt to make Jake feel at least a little better. „But not a good one, sadly.” He sighed, feeling bad for what he had done. „I am sorry, love, I know I shouldn’t have given you false hope.”
„You’re weirdly enthusiastically on board with this whole idea of me getting with Marc.”
"Well, mate, what’s there to be against?” There was no hesitation to saying it, only a content smirk gracing Grant’s mouth. “You may not notice, but you make Marc feel... softer, more vulnerable. It’s something he needs, as he can easily become cold and harsh." Steven explained softly, a beautiful smile accompanying him every time he so much as thought of his other partner.
And then, like a bulb suddenly lighting up above his head, he remembered something which made him beam at his beloved partner. „Oooor, perhaps I can make a recommendation. There is one thing that would probably work.”
„Like what?” asked Jake from his place resting on a soft chest, not showing any sign of anticipation anymore, too reserved and kind of ready for another letdown.
„I think Marc would appreciate a gift. Something sweet and romantic…” Londoner paused, thinking hard, his eyes glazing over as he tried to find the right inspiration. „But I don’t think flowers will cut it. They could, surely, or a little poem maybe?” he proposed more to himself rather than anyone else, simply thinking aloud before his eyes finally lit up. „I have it! The perfect idea!”
„Hmm?”
"How about his spacecraft models?" Steven asked with a bright smile on his face indicating he was under the impression he had come up with something brilliant. "What if... you bought him a special kit? One that you can build together?"
He could tell, by the way Jake's eyes sparkled involuntarily, that his partner definitely liked the idea. And Steven was excited himself. "I could even give you both pointers on how to paint it later! I know Marc likes things his way, but this would be a good way for you to slowly break down his walls..."
“¿En serio?” Jake asked, hesitancy still painted all over the deep lines across the skin on his face. „You really think this would actually work?”
"Trust me, darling. He's gonna love it," the British man replied confidently, already set on the idea, now trying to reassure his partner. "I've seen how much Marc enjoys building his models. But this will have a romantic flair to it, it will be a romantic gift for a romancer." Steven was smiling, already thinking of Marc's reaction when he would be presented with the gift.
Lockley hummed. Not in a sceptical manner, really, just… healthy, realistic way, as he seemed not to be fully convinced yet.
„What if that spacecraft models stuff doesn’t work out, though?” Jake asked, his eyes trained firmly on his partner now, thick brows furrowed in concentration as if he was planning a battlefield tactic and not a flirt attempt.
He couldn’t help but notice how pretty Steven looked when deep in thought regarding their third alter; how his eyes, a rich shade of hazel sparkled with genuine affection as he spoke about Marc; how the warmth in his gaze conveyed a depth of emotion that went beyond mere words; how his ridiculously long, expressive lashes framed his eyes, and how the occasional twinkle hinted at a subtle sense of natural humour that always endeared him to those around him who were brave enough to actually look at him with more than a sense of pity.
"How did you score him, Steven?" Jake added, the question hanging in the air with a weight that made Steven uneasy; the worst question Jake could ask, and Steven felt the pressure of not having a grand romantic tale to share to inspire him. He wished he’d had one but he didn’t.
He hesitated for a moment, aware that admitting this might feel like a failure to Jake.
"You don't need to plan it like he’s a sneaky target to set a trap on," Steven responded swiftly, sensing Jake's discomfort in the room that was supposed to be their heaven. Placing a reassuring hand on Jake's hip, he continued, "Small gestures, like the gift, can take you far enough."
He meant well, that was obvious. His words hung in the air, attempting to soothe Jake's nerves- they were said calmly and almost with a hint of precaution as if he was walking on a minefield. However, despite the reassurance, scepticism lingered in Jake's expression like a subtle shadow; his brows furrowed slightly, creating a tiny crease in his forehead, betraying the doubt that simmered beneath the surface, and the corners of his lips remained subtly downturned, and his jaw clenched.
It broke Steven’s heart to witness him in a state like that.
"The spacecraft idea is perfect, Jake," Steven urged, diverting the conversation away from his own experiences, because honestly, if he were to mention his beginnings with Marc, that would be the real bummer in this entire situation, that’s how embarrassing they were. And that wasn’t the point of their conversation, anyway, Jake getting with Marc was. "And when you're with him, don't be afraid to really look at him,” he actually smirked proudly when mentioning that. “Marc is one devilishly attractive man, it's perfectly okay if your gaze lingers a little longer. Let him see that admiration in your eyes—it can speak volumes."
„What are you getting at, I look at him all the damn time,” Jake replied defensively, his stare at his boyfriend’s face now as piercing and deadly as it always was while looking at Marc.
Steven chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, but like you want to murder him in cold blood,” he said in a half-joking, half-serious tone. His subtle smile quickly returned to his face as he tried to reassure his partner. "Look at him like you look at me, with admiration, with desire, and not like you are trying to scare him into a corner."
„Tal vez asustarlo y arrinconarlo funcionaría con él,” a low grumble was let out as a resigning response before Jake put his head back onto Steven’s chest, kissing his pec gently through the fabric of his sweater. „At least he wouldn’t have a way out.”
Steven chuckled, a genuine little laugh rumbling against his ribcage, and then sighed as he felt Jake resting on his chest again.
"I am not sure if intimidating Marc is a good idea, my love. Something’s telling me he doesn't like it very much when he feels backed into a corner," he said, trying to comfort his partner as much as he could. "But I will tell you what..." he continued as if he just had another one of his brilliant ideas, all thrilled and hugging the other man oh-so-tightly all of a sudden. "You could try... being vulnerable."
The reaction to this proposal came, as expected, with the light speed. „Yeah, hard pass on that, amigo.”
"Vulnerable. Not weak," Steven quickly counterparted. "You can be vulnerable without being weak, Jakey," he explained, not even stopping on this only, determined to get his Spanish-speaking alter on board with the idea, "At last, you have won me by being kind and sweet."
Steven smiled as he felt Jake start to calm down, his hands running gently through his hair but his arms never loosening the embrace he had him in.
Jake scoffed at that. „I have won you by playing guitar and having a car, Stevie.”
"That was not all, Jake," Steven replied quickly, more than ready to defend the honour of both of them. His nose scrunched at the memories of their story, much less awkward than the one with Marc, fortunately. "You played that guitar for me when I felt sad, you drove safely when you felt me close to front with you, and you always made sure I was on time, so I wouldn’t get absolutely trashed for being a lil late. You are genuinely considerate, even when you don't think I notice. You’ve won me by paying attention," Steven finished his lecture with a small snicker, "Bet my arse you pay the same attention to Marc."
A low, sceptical hum emanated from Jake's throat, a subtle vibration that mirrored the discordant thoughts swirling in his mind. Much to his alter’s dissatisfaction, of course.
"C’mon, mate," Steven pressed, his complaint sounding almost whiny. "You know what to do, you just have been too hesitant to do it," he pushed again. "Just... do it, Jake. Go all in. Make a move. Buy him flowers. Write him a short poem. Cook something for him. Spend time with him."
The other man’s eyes widened at that sudden flood of ideas, all incredibly bad, one more idiotic than the previous. „Cálmate, cheerleader, do I need to get you some pom-poms?” Said Jake, groaning loudly at his partner’s enthusiasm.
Steven laughed at Jake before he could help it. "No... no, I think I'm good." He chuckled, as he got slightly red in the face - being called out like that wasn’t his favourite part, as much as he understood his partners would never have a laugh at him for being healthy-optimistic, it simply always brought the memories of people who hadn’t been equally considerate. "I just believe in you and the power of your seductive eyes!" he stated in an attempt at being funny, to which Lockley lifted his upper body off Steven’s chest, tilting his head while looking at his man with a raised brow.
„My seductive eyes, huh?” he teased, a playful glint dancing in the amber hues of his irises, amusement evident in his expression.
"Oh yes," Steven replied smoothly, his tone laced with humour, "A weapon of mass attraction."
His words might sound ridiculous to Jake, but the way that Steven looked at him at the moment was very intense, and the slight blush gracing his cheeks only served to add more charm to his persona.
„You’re ridiculous, Steven Grant,” Jake declared, a mixture of affection and exasperation clear in his tone. As the words hung in the air, he closed the distance between them, leaning in to capture Steven's lips in a quick, yet meaningful kiss focused solely on their lips brushing against each other in a gentle caress.
The blush on Steven's face was now a deep shade of red. It was obvious that he was flustered and flustered for good reason.
"You did that just to make me all worked up, didn’t you?" he asked calmly, his tone indicating that he was not mad at all.
„Can’t accuse me without a solid proof, hermoso.” That was all Jake said to that before he lazily got off of Steven and up from the bed, displaying his body, covered only by a pair of boxers, to the cold air. Having gently thrown the abandoned book back onto Steven’s chest as a replacement for his head, he slowly started pulling his trousers up his legs.
"Jake, darling-" Steven tried to say once Jake was already up and moving. "Jake, wait!" he added, a little more seriously than before as he tried to grab Jake's arm. "You leaving?"
A little baffled expression danced across the man’s face once he looked at his partner.
„We’re landing in Stockholm in a few minutes, and Marc’s currently fronting…” he explained briefly. Though, judging by a single surprised sound ripping through Steven’s throat, he owed much more than that, though, which he immediately provided. "He took a night flight, so you could just go to sleep at that time instead of staying with him, complaining about this entire deal," Jake continued, his tone conveying a blend of matter-of-factness and a touch of exasperation. "We got a quick mission in Sweden, the target's here," he added, unveiling the purpose of their visit, all while carefully observing his partner’s reaction. "And since he hates snow to the core, and it's December in fucking Sweden , I'll just kick him out of the body for a moment, take over, and get us all to our hostel."
"Ohhhhh..." Steven said, his voice full of understanding. "Okay, okay, that does make a lot of sense." He chuckled and laid back against the headrest, smiling at his loved one. "Do you need me to help?" he asked, clearly hoping for the answer to be a positive one. To his great disappointment.
„I need you to rest, bebé,” Jak responded, his eyes dripping with firm care. He leaned over the bed one last time to gently squeeze Steven’s ankle. „And don’t you fucking try to tell Marc what we’ve talked about here, claro?”
"Sí," Steven replied with a nod, about the only Spanish word he managed to learn despite both of his better halves using it frequently. His face was full of affection as Jake squeezed his ankle. "Fine, I will rest, and I will not bother Marc. Can we cuddle for just one more minute before you go?" he asked sweetly, a gentle plea lingered in his voice as he requested that.
„He’ll freeze our butt out once he gets off that plane, Stevie…” Jake remarked, injecting a note of humour into the situation on his side, which only resulted in a subtle frown on Steven’s before the Englishman closed his eyes.
"Fine. Have a good mission and don't kill yourself or something." There was a slight edge of concern in his voice, coupled with a touch of playfulness as he quipped, "I want to see your handsome face without a scar on it later."
Jake huffed out a small laugh once he stood by the door, shaking his head slightly. The same head in which plans on claiming Marc Spector as his were already forming.