Their Little Beauty (MxMxM+)

Chapter Twenty-One: Truthful Teasing and A Confession

Coming out of their office, stretching their shoulders with a groan at the sweet relief and resounding spinal crunches, Jesse then stopped to sniff the air.

Food? But Quinn's busy out in his studio and Dev's been taking calls and video meetings in his office all day. We were going to just order in pizza...

Following the delicious aromas, he found himself in the archway of the place where happiness was born. Just under three months of cohabitating and seeing Briar in their kitchen felt utterly normal. Like he had always been there, bending low to get plates or reaching high for the mixing bowls. And as was predictable at this point, the beautiful man seemed to have yet another song stuck in his head, dancing a little as he moved from stove to countertop, head bopping to an imaginary beat and humming under his breath. 

He's so cute. I missed him while he was out today.

"Ah!" a voice screeched, and Jesse yelped in surprise, looking up at a frightened Briar who was holding a whisk like a shield.

"Jesus Christ, how long have you been there?! That scared the crap out of me" the long-haired man panted, rubbing his chest area.

Jesse stepped further into the room, leaning against the kitchen island on their elbows. 

"That's blasphemous, you rotten heathen. And only about five minutes. What are you so jumpy at, I was silent as a mouse!". 

"None of us are religious, idiot. And I don't care how silent you are, it's creepy seeing you stalking the archway like some perverted goblin". 

Jesse laughed, tickled by the insult but also incredibly happy at how quickly Briar had seemed to warm up to living with them. He was even starting to act and talk like Devon or Quinn would and the little fox didn't want to keep himself from hoping that even just a little of what he was feeling, Briar was too. 

"A goblin? Wow, so that's how you see us short folk. I'd prefer Hobbit". 

"Of course you wouldn't deny the perverted part, why am I even slightly surprised?" Beauty muttered quietly, resuming his mixing of something in a bowl.

Because I was perving. Don't bend down in front of me, it's not fucking fair; How can you have that gorgeous a face and a nice ass? It's bullshit.

The front door slammed shut, the sound of keys jingling before being put in the container by the fake plant following soon after, and Briar swore, peeking out into the hallway. 

"Shit, he's back in early. I thought the painting would take longer to finish".

"He'll probably go back out after eating- one of the perks of having the studio built behind the house. What're you making anyway? It smells really good, but I thought we were just relaxing tonight with pizza. You were out shopping all day, aren't you tired?".

"I am, but... I just really wanted to make you guys something. I enjoy feeding you all".

As he spoke, looking down into the bowl, pink flourished across the tips of his high cheekbones, a light dusting smoothing over his nose. A stray piece of hair slipped from his ponytail to cover a sparkly brown eye and a small smile lifted those plump, tempting lips. 

They looked so unbelievably soft and slightly shiny, as though lip balm had been recently applied.

Jesse's heart thumped hard, and like an invisible string was tugging them forward, they reached to tuck that piece of hair behind his ear, maybe trace his sharp jaw with a thumb, right when Briar's head lifted.

"Foxy?".

I want to touch him. Hold his hand again. Kiss him. Tell him...

"Beauty, I-".