Their Little Beauty (MxMxM+GF)

Chapter Nineteen- Penguin Plushness, Accidental Arousal and Errant Emotions

Briar stretched, enjoying the softness beneath him and getting ready to sleep. It was surprising how much good furniture had been in the garage, the double bed Briar claimed as his- temporarily, of course- just one of those pieces. It was made of beautiful wood and after three days of rummaging around inside the garage with Quinn's help, they found the matching wardrobe and dressing table. 

Now, he had a room that felt like his. The bedding was a bit childish, the colour grey with penguin's printed on it. But he really enjoyed it, the fluffy fleece of matching pattern even more so. Quinn had bought decorative pillows to tie it all together, which he found so very sweet of the man. Around the headboard were coils of lights, something Devon gifted him after Briar begrudgingly admitted his fear of the dark. 

There hadn't been a choice really; after waking his new housemates up for four nights in a row with his nightmares, he had to give some sort of explanation. Jesse had been beside themself with worry and Quinn had been extra attentive, both thing's he actually didn't mind but still, it didn't feel fair. 

They were doing so much for him after all, the least they deserved was peaceful rest.

And one weekend, Devon spent an entire day and night helping Briar paint one of the walls a lovely dark blue, so the light furniture would make a good contrast. And when he hadn't been looking, the dominant man had stuck glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.

All in all, his month and a half with the men had been incredible. 

After work he usually had dinner waiting for him, made by Quinn who was a great cook and astounding baker. They all sat around the dining table and spoke about their days or just anything in general, Jesse usually speaking the most. Sometimes when everyone had been busy or were simply in the mood, they ordered takeout and sat on the large sofa, everyone taking their own section and Jesse alternating who they snuggled against. In that scenario, they watched tv well into the night, either yelling answers at gameshows or chatting lightly through movies. 

Briar's favourite days however were the days when the others were so busy, they were either out of the home or all sat still for most of the day, leaving him to himself. These were the days he went grocery shopping, snuck back into the house and secluded himself to the kitchen, spending large portions of the day on making huge meals for his friends. He absolutely adored watching Jesse drool over the food, the relief in Quinn's eyes at having a night off and the impressed hum from Devon.

For the first time in his life, Briar felt appreciated. And when Quinn cooked for him, he felt cared for. Jesse coming into his room just to spend time together, doing nothing but listening to music or working side by side in silence, it made Briar feel wanted. When Devon helped him with schoolwork or read through his work projects, only to explain mistakes until he understood better or praise him for doing so well, it left Briar feeling accomplished and proud. 

I love it here, with them. I wonder how to show them all how much I appreciate what they've done for me...

***

Waking up in the night with a dry throat prompted Briar out of bed. Reluctantly leaving the softness behind, he gently opened the door and crept down the dimly lit hallway. As always, Devon had left on small lights, making Briar smiling softly.

He is a good man. He doesn't even laugh at me for acting like a baby, none of them do. Or force me to be in the dark. It's so sweet how much they actually care. Maybe I should get them really nice gifts when I have a bit more in savings... Christmas is coming pretty soon.

Going into the bathroom, he stooped down to the cold tap and used his hand as a cup to then slurp from, crisp water flowing into his eager mouth. Maybe it was because he had been so thirsty or since it was so late in the night, but it tasted better than usual.