he felt about Lukas calling them friends. Or maybe he was wondering why Lukas was being weird. Finally, John just shrugged and started walking away, calling over his shoulder, “I told you Tuesday—we’re family. Besides, these cupcakes more than make up for it.”
Lukas followed slowly, unsure how long he should stay. Getting deeper in the house, he caught the smell of something… awful. “Um, did I catch you during dinner?”
He finally caught up to John in the large, open kitchen and found him already eating one of the cupcakes, frosting smeared across his mouth and stubble. Lukas’s mouth literally watered as he curled his toes, stopping his urge to stride over and lick the tangy cream cheese frosting away.
Finishing his cupcake and wiping his mouth with a piece of paper towel, John nodded at the breakfast nook on the other side of the room. “I was just about to sit down and eat.”
Biting his lip, Lukas stared at the plate holding a plastic tray with a frozen dinner meal.
John started chuckling. “Try not to look so horrified. Some of us aren’t amazing cooks.”
Ducking his head, he felt himself blush. “Sorry. I wasn’t judging. It’s just that those things are so bad for you. Chock-full of salt and preservatives.”
Shrugging, John leaned back against the counter behind him, apparently not eager to get back to his food. “Like I said, I can’t cook for shit.”
His mind was going a mile a minute, and he gestured at the refrigerator. “May I?”
“Uh, sure.”
Crossing the kitchen, he pulled open the door and peered inside the surprisingly well-stocked fridge. There was meat and fruit… oh, and even some vegetables. So it wasn’t that John was opposed to real food, he just literally didn’t know how to put it together into a meal. Lukas was sure he probably only had so much meat because John was a big griller.
Such a macho man.
Smirking to himself, he started pulling stuff out. “Can you wait, like, an hour?”
John narrowed his eyes at the items Lukas had removed from the fridge. “Are you planning on cooking for me?”
“Yup!” He grinned, ignoring how weird it was that he’d invaded John’s home and was now preparing a meal for him. “Consider it part two of my nonmonetary repayment.”
Snorting, John reached toward the cupcakes again. “You don’t have to do that, but I won’t go so far as to actually turn down real food, if you’re willing.”
Dropping the food in his arms on the kitchen island, he darted over to grab the container before John could get it open. “No more cupcakes before dinner.”
John just stared at him, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”
Tucking the container behind his back, he smirked and backed away. “You’ll ruin your dinner, young man.”
Throwing back his head, John roared with laughter. Lukas’s belly swooped at the sight and the knowledge that he’d done that. Him. No one else was there; he was making John laugh. He could count on one hand how many times he and John had been alone over the years. John wasn’t exactly “Mr. Reserved,” but watching him laugh at something Lukas’s dad or one of their other friends said was so different than teasing him himself and admiring his joyful expression.
He felt like whooping in triumph but squashed the sensation. It didn’t matter how many meals he cooked or how many times he made John belly laugh—the man was so off-limits he wasn’t even on Lukas’s playing board.
When he’d been young and naïve, he’d convinced himself that loving someone enough could change how they felt, and then John would develop feelings for Lukas in return.
Ten years later, he knew better.
Wiping at his eyes, John grinned at him. “Shit, it’s been a while since I laughed like that.” He eyed the hidden container. “Seriously though. If I have to wait an hour for dinner, I’m gonna need another one to tide me over.”
Lukas just shook his head and stepped back a little more, dislodging the morose thoughts and smiling when John realized Lukas wasn’t going to give the treats back. Face falling, John followed after him, his steps a little halting like he wasn’t sure what game was happening but was up for playing.
“You little brat,” he grumbled. The creases next to his eyes and mouth gave away his humor though. He wasn’t fooling Lukas at all.
Laughing, Lukas turned and ran. “I’ll just go put these someplace safe.”
“Lukas!”
He heard John thundering after him, but he was too fast. He’d only really seen the living room and kitchen,