Chapter Twenty Now and Next

Now and Next

Demetrios made love to Jesse twice more that night.

Each time was as magnificent as the last. He was learning what Jesse liked, what he wanted, what he craved, and each time Demetrios fell further in love with him. He’d been carrying around his love for Jesse as heavy as the entire world for the past decade, not willing to let it sink into the Aegean. He was now glad he hadn’t, because he had this.

Jesse.

In his arms.

Jesse stirred against his chest, gazing at him with bleary eyes, dishevelled hair, and thoroughly fucked. Demetrios smiled.

“How long have you been awake?” Jesse rubbed his eye.

Demetrios shrugged. “All night.”

“You’ve not slept?”

“I don’t need sleep when I’m with you.”

“Everyone needs sleep.” Jesse yawned, leaning behind him for the phone on his bedside table. He illuminated the screen. “But I think nine is a perfectly acceptable time to lie in until on a Sunday.” He snuggled back in.

“Do you work on a Sunday?”

“I try not to.” Jesse ghosted his fingers along the hair on Demetrios’ chest. “I have deadlines and normally stick to them, working when I need to.”

“Must be nice to work to your own schedule.” Demetrios had spent his entire life dictated to. When the taverna opened. When it closed. During peak summer season, he barely had a day off. Opening at eight and closing at eleven. It was long hours. Not for everyone. He couldn’t complain too much, though, considering he worked next to a golden sandy beach with a view of the bluest of blue seas. But he’d still dreamed of a time he could do this…lie in bed with nothing to do but hold the man he loved. And, if he was honest, he’d never wanted to lie in with anyone else, fine with leaving whoever had been in his bed to mosey on downstairs. It’s why he’d installed the coffee machine and fridge in his room as Elias had moaned at being left unfed.

He’d find it difficult to leave Jesse, though.

Jesse lifted his head, resting his chin on the back of his hand. “When do you go back?”

Demetrios felt Jesse stiffen. For all of their confessions last night, they’d left that one out: What happened now?

“I don’t know,” Demetrios said, honestly, stroking a hand down Jesse’s back to the bump of his arse. “It depends.”

“On?”

“You.”

“Oh.” Jesse thought for a moment, then kissed Demetrios’ chest, clambering on top of him to find his lips. “That’s a conversation with clothes on, though, isn’t it?” He pouted.

“If it has to be.” Demetrios raised his hips off the bed to slide his body with Jesse’s. Flesh upon flesh, no skin untouched. Glorious. Paradise. Utopia.

“What happens if you go Greek four times?”

Demetrios nibbled Jesse’s chin. “I don’t think it can be done.”

“No?” Jesse arched an eyebrow. “That a challenge?”

Demetrios massaged Jesse’s buttocks, attempting to prove his point. He had to be sore. Demetrios didn’t bottom. Rarely, anyway. He’d done it once or twice, and he remembered the lingering sting after. “I’d advise against it.”

Jesse hissed, then leaned down and kissed him. “You might be right.” He travelled down Demetrios’ body, sinking between his legs and wrapping delicate fingers around his semi, massaging it to full life. Demetrios hadn’t thought it possible, but Jesse managed it, getting him hard and ready for whatever he planned to do.

Jesse opened his mouth and Demetrios lost himself down Jesse’s throat, arching his back as Jesse sucked on him. It didn’t take too long, and when he was done, Jesse rose onto his knees and pleasured himself over Demetrios, raining his orgasm over his stomach and chest.

Okay, that was utopia.

Jesse collapsed onto his back next to him, arms splayed either side, hand hitting Demetrios. Blowing back his hair, he tapped around on his bedside table, finding his glasses and popping them on. “Oh.” He pouted, blinking at Demetrios. “It’s you.”

Demetrios growled and rolled over to grab him.

Jesse laughed, then wriggled out of his clutches, flinging his legs off the edge of the bed. “We only have the one bathroom,” he said over his shoulder. “You can get in there now, if you like. Jade’s not up. I’ll be down in the kitchen making you breakfast.”

Demetrios reached for him, walking fingertips along his spine. “Not joining me this time?”

“There’s not enough room to wash your hair without banging something on the wall, let alone get two grown men in there.” Jesse stood, stretched, and Demetrios rolled onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow. He gazed with adoration as Jesse ripped a dressing gown from the back of his door and slipped into it. He twisted to face him, tying the belt to, unfortunately, shield his entire body. “It’s the door next to this one. Not the one opposite unless you fancy Trent—” he motioned a large diameter with his hands, “—big guy, knocking you out.”

“Who’s Trent?”

“Jade’s boyfriend. The father of her unborn child.”

“So you’ll be sharing with a couple and their baby soon?”

“Another chat we need to have with clothes on.” Jesse trampled over to his chest of drawers, opened one, and threw a towel at him. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Not opened from the packet. You can use it.”

Demetrios arched an eyebrow. “Ready for those late night unexpected guests dropping by, huh?”

Jesse blushed. “It’s unopened.”

“Replaced from the last one.”

“You’re the one with the track record of romancing the tourists.”

Fair point. “Not anymore. I romanced the one tourist I wanted a while back. Trouble was, he kept leaving.”

Jesse smiled, then crouched by the bed to kiss him. “Come down when you’re ready.” He then nipped out of the bedroom door, closing it behind him.

Demetrios fell onto his back, listening to footsteps trundling down the stairs. This was where it began. This was the reality. The morning after. The clean-up. The ‘what do we do now’? He used the sheet to wipe Jesse off his skin, then got up, wrapped the towel around his waist, and found his way to the bathroom. Jesse had been right. The shower cubicle barely fit him inside, bashing his elbow trying to scrub the shampoo through his hair. But he got cleaned up, used Jesse’s “spare” toothbrush, and with steam wafting around the bathroom, opened the door to Jade jumping up and down the other side of it.

“Oh, thank god!” She burst around him and knelt down by the toilet to throw up.

“Are you okay?” Demetrios wasn’t sure whether he should leave her to it or hold her hair back.

Jade waved him off, retching down the bowl again. “Morning…sickness.”

Demetrios winced. He trundled back to Jesse’s bedroom, dressed in shorts and a tee, then tiptoed past Jade, still hugging the bowl, and bundled downstairs to find the kitchen. The terraced house ground floor only had two rooms, separated by a hallway, and one of those was the front room. Demetrios plodded on toward the back where Jesse, in his dressing gown and adorable as ever, stood behind a breakfast bar, hugging a cup of tea.

“Morning.” He smiled, then gestured to the stool on the other side of the counter. “Have a seat.”

“Your housemate is throwing up.”

“Ahh, it’s like uni all over again.” Jesse put his cup down, then flicked the kettle on. “We’ve only got instant coffee, I’m afraid.”

“I can have tea.”

“You want tea?”

“Why not?”

“It’s English Breakfast. Not the mountain tea stuff you Greeks have.”

“Don’t put milk in it then.”

“Okay.” The kettle boiled and Jesse made the tea, handing it over to Demetrios. “For breakfast in this house, it’s slim pickings until one of us has been paid. Which I haven’t. And Jade didn’t leave the house yesterday because…” they both flinched as Jade’s timely retching echoed down the stairs, “…of that.”

“Okay.”

“So I can offer you Crunchy Nut Cornflakes or toast. The bread is slightly mouldy, but I can rip those bits off, and we’re out of jam, so it’s butter only. Oh, no, wait!” Jesse checked inside a cupboard above his head and pulled out a squeezy bottle, waggling it at Demetrios. “We have honey!”

“Aren’t you a working professional?”

“I’m a penniless artist.” Jesse held out his arms with a bow.

Demetrios snorted. “I’ll have a bowl of your crunchy nuts, then.”

“Good choice, sir.” Jesse fetched two bowls and poured the cereal, splashing milk onto the flakes, then handed one over to Demetrios with a spoon. Jesse ate standing up, leaning on the counter, one leg crossed over the other. “So…” he said mid mouthful, starting a conversation Demetrios feared. Because the next words out of his mouth were going to be — “What now?”

Demetrios chewed the honeyed flakes, swallowed. “We could go back to bed?”

“That won’t solve the problem of the rest of our lives.”

Demetrios chucked his spoon back in the bowl to tuck his hands between his legs and bow his head. He opened his mouth to speak when Jesse beat him to it.

“Jade and Trent want the house.” Jesse spoke to his spoon, a slight tremble to his fingers as he scooped off the flakes. “When the baby comes. I have to move out.”

Demetrios waited.

“My dad’s also selling our old house, meaning no chance of going back there.” Jesse finished his cereal, then chucked the empty bowl in the sink. He returned to his position against the counter, not daring to look at Demetrios. “Flats around here are too expensive for a penniless artist.”

Demetrios grabbed his spoon to scrape the last of his cereal. This was one of those times when he already knew what Jesse was going to say and he indulged himself with waiting for him to spit it out rather than let Jesse know he was right there with him. Because it was fun to watch him squirm.

Jesse drew his eyebrows in. “So, we could…” he paused, waiting for Demetrios to glance up. He did. And Jesse finished, “Live that second chance of yours.”

Demetrios swallowed the Crunchy Nuts. “What second chance?”

“The life we could have had.”

Demetrios wiped his mouth with his hand, then pushed the bowl away. “I guess I could ask for a job in that restaurant we were in last night. They need a real Greek if they call themselves that.”

“I’m pretty sure the chef is Greek.”

“Nice. Where from?”

“I don’t know!”

Demetrios dumped his elbows on the countertop, steepling his fingers over his lips in contemplation. “Babá could ship my guitar over. Set up where that man was yesterday? Seemed a good spot to draw in the crowds.”

“You need a license to busk in London, which I’m not sure they give to illegal immigrants. Thank you, Brexit.” Jesse scrubbed his brow with his fingers. “And I doubt we could afford anywhere around here on a waiter’s salary or the spare change you’ll get thrown in your case.”

“You’ve stripped all the romance of my scenario.”

“Someone has to be practical.”

Demetrios cocked his head. “Aren’t you the one who illustrates fantasy novels for a living?”

“Mostly children’s books. Why? What’s your point?”

“You only live in a fairytale if it pays you?”

“It helps, yes.”

“Huh.” Demetrios folded his arms.

“Okay, listen.” Jesse pushed away from the counter to stand directly in front of him.

God, he was adorable. Wrapped up in a dressing gown, hair a mess, trembling through asking something Demetrios would say yes to. Demetrios would say yes to anything Jesse asked from now on. But he waited as Jesse removed his glasses, wiped them on his gown, and secured them back on.

“How about we skip the part where you follow me here?” he said. “I’ve done the university thing, so it’s like fast forward to the next chapter.”

Demetrios furrowed his brow. “But I’m already here.”

“How about,” Jesse inhaled, chest rising, “we get to the part where you convince me I can do all my illustrating from Greece?”

“Can you?”

“Yes. As long as I have paper. Pencils. A laptop. Wifi. They have that in Aegleia, right?”

“Only during daylight hours.”

“Why? What happens at night?”

Demetrios slapped his hands on the surface, rose from the stool, leaned over the counter, and grabbed Jesse’s dressing gown lapels to drag him forward. Nose to nose, raw and seductive, he said, “I fuck you.”

“Oh.” Jesse snorted. “I can work around that.”

Demetrios kissed him. “Okay. You can come live with me.” He fell back onto the stool. “What about your dad, though?” Not that he wanted to offer a reason why Jesse should stay in London, but it needed to be addressed. He was the main reason Jesse hadn’t continued visiting. Hadn’t seen his mum before she died.

“I’ve realised it doesn’t matter.” Jesse fell serious, shrugging away the resentment. “Whatever I do, he’ll still chose to drink. To be angry. To destroy himself. He was like that before mum left him. Maybe it was the reason why she did. I was too blind to see it. Too young, maybe. And too consumed in…you. But I know it isn’t up to me to make up for what happened. I’m not abandoning him. I’m just…living my life. If he wants to stay away from that because of what happened to him, then that’s his choice.”

Demetrios nodded. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

“I hope he will see sense. I hope, one day, he’ll see how amazing you are and how much I’m in love with you and how happy I’ll be. He might get over himself.”

“He might.”

“One day.”

“One day.”

Jesse smiled. “So, off to Greece I go.”

Demetrios grinned. “It makes sense anyway. Considering you own half the Kallis Taverna.”

“I’m sorry?” Jesse blinked. “I what?”

“Own half the Kallis Taverna.”

Jesse flinched. “What?”

“When my dad married your mum, he signed over half the business to her. It’s always been a family run place, so it was his gift to her. Make her family. When she died, in her will, her half went to you. Her son.”

Jesse’s mouth gaped open, and he staggered back to find something to support himself.

“Did no one tell you that?”

“No, Dem, no one told me that.”

“Oh. That was an oversight. Babá might have told you that night…Ah, yeah. Skatá. The day I took you to our beach, Babá had asked me to bring you back, which I did, but…”

“But you fucked me instead.”

“Yeah.” Heat flooded Demetrios’ cheeks.

Jesse shook his head, then raised a finger. “Hang on.” He pointed at him. “Does that make me your boss?”

“Um…” Demetrios shifted on the stool. “I guess. Technically. Yes.”

Jesse threw his head back and laughed. Clambering his way around the breakfast bar, he climbed on Demetrios’ lap and clasped his hands around his neck. “I am going to love this new life.” He kissed him and Demetrios held him, heart swelling at what the future now held.

“Urgh.” Jade tapped into the kitchen in her notorious Oodie and pyjama bottoms, scraping her pink hair back into a bun. “Don’t make me sick again.” She scurried over to the kettle, switching it on, then turned back to Jesse huddled on Demetrios’ lap. “What’s the goss, then?”

Jesse swung them both around on the stool to face her. “I own a taverna.”

“Half a taverna,” Demetrios corrected him because he didn’t want Jesse to get delusions of grandeur. It wasn’t a goldmine. It was long hours. More a lifestyle choice than a job or a means to get rich quick. And half of it belonged to him, anyway. Well, his father, who would eventually hand it over either on his deathbed or before. He hoped before. Yiannis deserved retirement with the other Greek men who sipped ouzo and played cards.

“Half a taverna,” Jesse confirmed, then gasped. “Can I have the bit that’s on the terrace?”

“It’s down the middle. You get half the inside as well.”

Jesse pouted, swinging his leg. “Do I only get one half of the toilet to piss in?”

“Yes.”

“That’ll be tricky.”

“Just aim it right.”

“Okay.” Jade raised her eyebrows, the kettle clicking off. “Tea anyone?”

“No thanks,” Jesse said. “Better start packing.”

“For what?” Jade made herself a tea.

“You want the house for when the sprog comes, right?”

“Yes. But there’s no hurry.” Jade dumped the kettle back on the surface. “To be honest, Jess, I think you’ll make a better partner through all this. Trent’s just slept through my chucking up.”

Jesse sloped off Demetrios’ lap and scooted around the breakfast bar. He held out his arms and Jade ducked into his hug. “Sorry, love. But I’m moving to Greece.”

Jade ripped herself from Jesse’s arms. “You’re what?”

“My taverna doesn’t run itself.”

Demetrios rolled his eyes.

“No?” Jade pointed at the fridge. “Milk.”

Jesse fetched the pint from the fridge and handed it over.

“Who’s running it now, then?” she asked, pouring milk into her cup.

“My business partner.”

“Who is your stepfather?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re fucking your stepbrother?”

Jesse winced through a smile. “Yeah.”

“Is this what a Greek tragedy is?” Jade dumped the tea bag in the swing bin, then leaned back to blow into her cup of tea.

“Probably,” Demetrios said.

“And how does your father feel about you and your stepbrother sleeping together?” She pointed over to Demetrios. “Which, by the way, well done on keeping noise to a min. He’s usually a screamer.”

“I am not!”

Demetrios snorted. “I’ll make him scream later.”

“Let me know when so I can leave the house.”

“Hey! I am your boss,” Jesse pointed at Demetrios, “and the godfather to your unborn child.” He prodded Jade’s stomach, hidden behind mounds of fleece blanket. “Have some respect.”

“So when are you going to Greece? Because I have to consider what colour to paint that room of yours as your brown walls makes my morning sickness worse.”

“They’re not brown. They are mocha.”

“That’s brown, Jellybean.”

Demetrios chuckled. He loved these two. And it gave him a sense of relief that Jesse had had her as a friend during their separation. He imagined she’d have been there for him throughout his pining, rather than him who’d hidden himself in dalliances with tourists and a long-term relationship with someone he didn’t even like that much.

Jesse glanced over at him. “When’s your flight home?”

“I didn’t book one. Got a one-way.”

“That’s very lax of border control.”

“Had a chat with the woman on security. She took her mum to Greece last year. Stayed at Konstantin’s. She’ll be staying at Kallis’ next year.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Of course she will.” He then clapped his hands together. “Okay, we need a plan. The first one is for me to shower. Then we check flights and all that other crap I’ll need to figure out on how I actually move my life to Greece.” He counted off his fingers. “I’ll have to let my agent know. The authors I work with—”

“Not that fantasy novel guy,” Demetrios cut in. “He doesn’t need to know where you are.”

Jesse smiled, nose wrinkling. “All right, Phthonos.”

Demetrios cocked his head. “So you do know Greek mythology?”

“Is there a test at the border?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll draw them all. It’s fine.” Jesse adjusted his glasses, then rubbed his hands together in glee. “Right. Let’s do this. Let’s go live my Big Fat Greek Life!” He shrieked with excitement and he and Jade jumped around the kitchen.

Demetrios rose from his stool. Smiled.

Yeah.

Let’s.