nice view and decent drinks. The last one he’d been to had a pool with a swim-up bar that he thoroughly enjoyed. But Luca had gone with him that time since it was before they got Ivy, and they’d almost gotten caught fucking on the balcony at two in the morning. It was one of Luca’s favorite stories to tell when he got drunk, and Sebastion never got tired of hearing his husband giggle through the words, “scrambled inside with his dick still firmly up my ass.”
It would be a lonely one this time, but he knew there was nothing to be done about it. They couldn’t leave Ivy behind, and Luca had work to do. Of course, Sebastion was only really pretending to worry about his husband. Luca was good at what he did. He was competent, which never failed to turn Sebastion on, and he was passionate about it, which made him hot all over.
Even Luca’s short time in the forensics department with the PD had been inspiring. Seeing him leave the house every morning in a suit and tie had gotten Sebastion worked up enough to bind Luca’s hands with it later and blow him against the kitchen counter when he got home.
Leaning back in his chair, Sebastion pulled his phone out, staring at the blank screen. He had a sudden urge to check up on Alexander, though this morning it was devoid of his name. The conversation had been left hanging the night before, and he was worried now he hadn’t been clear enough that he meant what he said.
Their home was somewhere the younger man could escape to if he needed it. Hell, even if he just wanted it. Sebastion was torn between pushing the issue so Alexander understood that he was wanted and knowing that the wrong words could shatter what little progress they’d made with him. He could recall with a sort of vicious clarity what it felt like when his relationship with Rhys came to an end. He was on edge, desperate for help but too afraid to trust anyone. He had no idea how different things might have turned out if he’d had a man like Luca to reach a hand out—but he knew for damn sure it would have taken a miracle for him to believe it was real.
His finger tapped the screen, and it immediately opened to the photo he’d taken of Luca on their last trip to the Keys six years before. He was on the beach, his arms stretched behind him, the ocean in front. In the crisp, clear photo, he could see every single line of Luca’s body, down to the phoenix etched across his arm, and the swirls of smoke that surrounded it. His hands were clasped together, but Sebastion could easily just blink and see the lines inked on his knuckles, and the constellation on the top of his wrist—Sebastion’s constellation.
His husband was such a good man. He was so deserving of more than Sebastion could ever give him, but he never made him feel inadequate. Luca was the kind of man who had the space in his heart to love endlessly and immeasurably, and Sebastion didn’t know if he was capable of filling every empty corner. It’s what terrified him, but it’s what also pushed him to consider this thing with Alexander as something with potential.
Pressing his finger against the empty space, the chat opened, and he saw it was the same as he’d left it. Indecision tugged at him, and he glanced at his appointment clock. Six minutes until he had to focus on work.
Dee: I’m at my office, but I wanted to check in with you. I hope last night went okay.
Dum: I was just about to send the same message. Let us know you’re alright and just off conquering the known ancient world.
Sebastion wasn’t surprised when his phone lit up with a call after Alexander didn’t answer. “Relax,” he said to his husband. “Silence doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. He’s probably busy with school.”
“I know. I just fucking hate silence, you know that.”
“I do.” Sebastion stood up and walked to his little sink, dropping his empty container into it before washing his hands as he pressed his phone between his ear and shoulder. “Remember, he’s a grad student. You barely had time to breathe.”
“I know.” Luca had gotten his master’s before he met Sebastion, but during his doctorate, if Sebastion hadn’t followed him around with plates of food, he probably