Just Stay (24 page)

"Yeah," Seb says. "She asked about you."

"Really?" Evan sounds honestly surprised, and just a bit pleased.

"Yeah. She wanted to know if you were handsome, that sort of thing."

"Handsome?" Evan says, a smile in his voice. "And what did you say?"

"I said that you were," Seb sighs. "Obviously. I believe I used the term,
out of my league.
"

Evan chuckles.

"I'm flattered," he says, pushing Seb's hair back and combing through it with his fingers. "But I'd say it's the other way around."

Seb frowns at that and looks up at him.

"Seriously?" he says, and Evan shrugs, lying on his back. "You're a musician, for god's sake. You're hot, and charming, and just generally cool."

Evan smiles at him.

"True," he says immodestly, in a way he knows is part of said charm. "And you're a writer, an artist. You're gorgeous and sarcastic, and really smart."

"How is sarcasm an attractive trait?" Seb says, frowning in disbelief, but Evan just keeps that smile, the soft one. It makes him look oddly at peace, like Seb is equal parts amusing and adorable and just perfect.

"It is when it's done right," he says, kissing the top of Seb's head. "And you do it right."

Seb doesn't answer him, just looks at him, for several, long seconds.

"I love you, you know," he finally says, and Evan keeps his eyes on his, unwavering.

"And I love you," he replies, reciprocating the kiss Seb moves up to give him. It's a soft kiss, one summing up everything they just said, and when they pull apart, Evan studies Seb's face, pulling his fingers through his hair.

"So," he says lightly. "It's out and official, then."

Seb nods, knowing that he's referring to the conversation Seb had with his mother.

"Guess so," he confirms, and Evan nods slowly. Then he cocks his eyebrows.

"So, when do I get to meet the family?" he says, and Seb smiles at him.

"Well," he says, drawing out the word and glancing up at the ceiling, as though deliberating. "There's this weddi

Part Two

Chapter 16

Family

"Would you stop fidgeting?"

Evan puts his hand on Sebastian's shoulder to keep him still, and Seb sighs at him.

"I'm not
fidgeting,
" he says, and Evan cocks his head.

"Dude, you're fidgeting," he retorts, directing his eyes at Seb's chest. "And stop pulling at your tie."

Seb sighs again, trying to relax his shoulders, to no avail. He looks down at Evan's hands, which are straightening his dark blue tie and fixing the knot.

"I can't help it," he says defensively. It's true; he has been pulling at the tie and loosening it several times in the past hour, Evan pulling it back into place every time. "I'm nervous."

"Don't be," Evan says simply, pulling the tie knot into place and fixing Seb's white shirt collar. He looks up and meets his eyes. "It'll be fine."

"That's easy for you to say," Seb mutters, and Evan raises his eyebrows at him.

"Really?" he says. "'Cause last time I checked, I was the one meeting your entire family, and not the other way around."

Seb narrows his eyes at him.

"True," he admits. "But last time
I
checked, I was the one about to be shoved into a room full of people silently judging me."

He looks down.

"Or not so silently," he adds, fiddling with his tie. Evan gently slaps his hand away.

"Like I said," he insists. "It'll be fine."

Seb sighs again, looking up at him.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because," Evan says matter-of-factly, "it's a wedding. And hopefully, people will be too focused on the actual reason for the whole thing, rather than who your date is. As in, they'll probably be too busy silently judging the bride and groom, and everyone else, rather than you."

He watches Seb frown uncomfortably and cracks a small smile.

"And also," he says, planting a quick, soft kiss on his mouth, "we're adorable. Let 'em judge. I dare them."

 Seb smiles then, feeling his shoulders relax properly, and Evan moves his hand up to gently stroke his cheekbone with his thumb.

"Well," Seb admits, cocking his head. "We
are
adorable."

"Damn straight."

Evan smiles at him and plants another quick kiss on his lips.

"Now, come on," he says, backing away toward his car. "We've got a wedding to get to."

Seb isn't used to wearing a suit. He has worn one before, obviously, but he still feels a bit awkward, absently tugging at the sleeves and the jacket, smoothing over the black fabric with his hands. He glances over at Evan, who looks impeccable in a suit, right next to him. Then again, he seems to look gorgeous, no matter what. It's a bit annoying, really.

"How do you do that?" Seb asks, frowning, and Evan glances at him.

"Do what?" he says.

"That," Seb says, gesturing at him. "You put on a suit and look like a fucking agent, and I just..."

He picks at his sleeve.

"I feel like I'm playing dress-up, or something."

"Well, technically," Evan says, "I am, too."

He glances at Seb pointedly, and Seb glares at him.

"You know what I mean," he says. "I'm not cut out for this."

Evan sighs and turns to him. They're standing outside the church where the wedding is to be held, next to Evan's vintage car. Evan has just parked and locked it, and slips the keys into his pocket.

"Yes, you are," he says, pulling Seb's hands away from their sleeve-picking. "You're awesome and hot, and seeing you in that suit makes me want to rip it off and fuck you against my car."

Seb blinks. He's used to Evan's blunt way of talking, but they are right outside a church at the moment, and the whole thing just feels ironically blasphemous and hilarious, somehow. Not to mention that there are people around, and someone might hear. Although, Seb really doesn't care enough to take their innocent, smut-sensitive ears into consideration, at least not right now.

Instead, he gives Evan a slow smile.

"Well," he says. "That's some incentive."

Evan doesn't even smile, just gives him a look that's enough to make pretty much Seb's entire being tingle and burn, as those eyes wander up and down along his body.

"Yeah," Evan says hoarsely, moving a bit closer. "I could do that when we get home, if you like."

He plants a slow, burning kiss against the pulse of Seb's throat, and Seb exhales heavily, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Promise?" he says, his voice almost a whisper, and Evan hums against his skin.

"If you behave," he says, and Seb smiles.

"Fine," he says, pulling away just enough for Evan to stop kissing him and look into his eyes, instead. "I'll hold you to that."

He combs through Evan's short hair with his fingers, settling his hand behind his neck, before quirking a smile.

"But at the moment," he says, "we need to get inside. And you need to back off, before I take you up on your offer right now."

Evan smiles mischievously, but obligingly steps away from his boyfriend.

"Fair enough," he says, extending his hand, and Seb laces their fingers together as he takes it. "Shall we?"

Seb only agrees, and they head inside

It's a beautiful ceremony.

Seeing as how Seb has known Mark his whole life, because despite them being cousins, they have basically grown up like brothers, it makes him smile to see him so happy. Jim, Mark's actual brother and best friend, is his best man, standing beside him and teasing him until the very last minute, when Angie starts walking down the aisle. Everyone turns to look at her, but Seb only glances, before turning back to Mark, whose eyes widen at the sight of his bride. Jim glances at his brother and laughs, before leaning over and whispering in his ear. It looks like something along the lines of
you should see your face
, and if Seb knows Jim, that's exactly what he's saying.

Angie really does look beautiful, though, in a rather old-fashioned, cream white dress. Her blonde hair is up in curls, and her soft, kind face shaped into a huge grin that she's clearly trying to tune down, but to no avail. As she passes by, Seb can clearly see her blush, and when she catches his eye for a second, he just raises his eyebrows at her, smiling amusedly. She narrows her eyes at him for a split second, like she tends to do, before turning her gaze back ahead, that smile still on her face, as she makes her way to the altar.

As Mark and Angie say their vows, everyone's eyes are on them, and Seb can't help but smile as he watches their expressions. They look happy. So completely and blissfully happy, and he feels such deep affection for the both of them.

He must be looking rather sappy, though, because he suddenly feels Evan's fingers lace with his, and he looks at him. He's sitting right beside Seb, and he smiles.

"You okay, there?" he whispers, a bit cheekily, and Seb rolls his eyes, but still keeps the smile on his face.

"I'm fine," he whispers back, turning back to the ceremony. Then Evan leans in and kisses him on the cheek, and Seb feels a blush creep up his neck, as he turns back to his boyfriend. He feels embarrassed, but when he sees Evan's half-cocky smile, he can't help but smile back, squeezing his hand.

If a wedding ceremony isn't the right time and place for something like that, when is, after all?

"Seb, I swear, don't make me handcuff you."

Evan is tugging Seb's hands away from his tie for the hundredth time, as Seb nervously pulls at it, loosening it.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Seb says dryly, eyes scanning the crowd that files into the room, where the wedding reception is being held. "Should probably handcuff me to a radiator. Safest that way."

"Easy there, wolf man," Evan says, trying to fix Seb's tie. Then he sighs, throwing his hands up. "Great. Now it's backwards."

Seb looks down; his tie is indeed backwards, having been tugged and loosened a hundred times by now. He groans.

"Just leave it," he says. "It's the least of my problems, anyway."

"Dude, you really need to chill." Evan stubbornly undoes the tie completely and redoes the knot, pulling it into place and fixing Seb's collar. "Getting real tired of your shit."

"Already?" Seb says sarcastically. "That should have happened months ago."

Evan smiles at him then, affection clear on his face.

"Sebastian," he says, taking Seb's hands in his own, Seb suddenly very focused on the way he's saying his name; Evan barely ever uses his full name. But Seb likes it. "You know I love you, but you need to relax. We're here, alright? Might as well make the best of it."

He moves one hand up to cup Seb's face, and kisses him softly.

"And if nothing else," he says, his voice a bit lower, "I keep my promises, and this will be worth your while, once we get home."

Seb tenses up involuntarily, his grip on Evan's hand tightening just the slightest bit. He hasn't exactly forgotten what Evan said before, outside, by the car. And it makes his blood rush to currently inappropriate places of his body.

"Fine," he says, his voice as low as Evan's. "Bribing does work, I suppose."

Evan smiles, mischievously, this time.

"Good," he says. "Now, relax."

Seb tries to, he really does. He barely has time to lower his heart rate, though, before Mark walks up to him.

"Seb," he says, hugging him tightly and slapping his back as he does. "Good to see you."

"You, too," Seb says, as they pull apart.

Mark has a kind face, with kind eyes and a smile that makes him look somehow older than his actual, twenty-six years. His almost black hair is combed down neatly, and he looks as clean-cut and sharp as ever, wedding or no.

"How's college?" Mark asks, and Seb half-shrugs.

"It's alright," he says. "How's marriage?"

Mark smirks at his obvious joke.

"You're hilarious," he says flatly. "But if you must know, it feels pretty damn good."

"Well, that's a relief." Seb smiles, and Mark looks at Evan.

"You must be Evan," he says, extending his hand. "Eleanor told me about you."

Evan looks a little bit surprised, but shakes Mark's hand.

"Great," Seb says to Evan, also half-surprised that Mark knows who Evan is; his tone suggests that he knows who he is to Seb, too. "My mom hasn't even met you yet, and she's already telling everyone."

"Not everyone," Mark points out, putting his hands in the pants pockets of his black suit. "Just me and Angie. So far, at least. I think she just wanted someone else here to know. You know how she feels about keeping secrets."

"Well, it's not like it's an actual secret," Seb points out uncomfortably.

"Still, though," Mark says. "You know how she gets."

Seb just nods, exhaling, and is just about to say something else, when they're interrupted.

"Hey, bro," Jim says, sliding up beside Mark and putting his arm over his shoulder. "Already hiding from the missus, huh?"

Jim doesn't really look like Mark, with his lighter brown hair and completely different facial features. He's shorter, too, by a few inches. But he has the same kindness to his face, and it's hard not to like him.

Mark doesn't dignify his question with an answer, and Jim turns to Seb instead, a smile on his face.

"Seb," he says, and Seb lets out an exasperated breath. "Haven't seen you in forever."

Seb likes Jim just fine; he grew up with him like he grew up with Mark. But where Mark has always been the responsible and rather well-behaved one, Jim has always been quite the opposite, being the rebellious little brother and all. He and Seb have always gotten along, but Seb has never been quite comfortable with Jim's prankster nature, always making other people the butt of his jokes.

"James," Seb says, deliberately forcing a smile which he knows looks sarcastic and fake. "Always the asshole."

Jim laughs and claps a hand against Seb's shoulder.

"Shit, I kind of missed you, kid," he says. And underneath the teasing and general douchey-ness, there is a layer of affection in his voice. Seb allows an equal layer of affection to show in his smile.