Devil's House

An Eventful Homecoming

Mike was washing dishes, glancing impatiently at the clock in the kitchen every so often like he might miss when he and Jason were to leave for the airport. There was still plenty of time, more than he wanted there to be between him and Chester. The morning after watching Chester and Ryan's video and the sex that followed hadn't been exactly awkward, but there was something hanging in the air between him and Jason that Mike couldn't quite put his finger on yet. He'd tried not to obsess over it during breakfast, but now it was bothering him more. He wanted his husband to come home, too.

He finished rinsing their coffee mugs and set them in the dish drainer, dried his hands on the towel, and wiped up the water around the sink. The kitchen looked the way Chester left it, and that made Mike feel the tiniest bit of pride when he looked around. It hadn't been the easiest task, but it had gotten done. He checked the time again and looked over at Jason and Julien on the couch. They were looking at a book together, and Julien looked particularly cute in his navy pants and white t-shirt with tiny whales printed all over it. It made Mike smile before he examined Jason closer.

Jason was already dressed for the airport, too, in a light gray sweater and jeans. He looked comfortable, but not relaxed, and it made Mike feel slightly uneasy. Earlier he'd woken up when Jason got out of bed to get the baby, which hadn't left them any time for conversation or connection after last night. Jason disappeared to start Julien's morning routine, and Mike had reluctantly gotten out of bed and stripped off the sheets to throw them in the wash.

That had earned him an absent thank you when Jason passed him on the way to get Julien's bottle, and when Mike hadn't been asked for help, he'd gone about his business, letting Cheese out to pee and then filling both the dog and cat bowls with food. Blue had made her morning appearance, twisting and turning through Mike's legs before hopping up on the couch behind Jason while he fed Julien. It left Mike feeling left out and lonely, which he then berated himself for feeling. He had other things he could do, like making coffee and breakfast, and he'd done that more or less in silence.

But now Mike could feel his anxiety rising. Jason had been distracted with Julien and polite, but cool. It had Mike thinking over the night before, trying to diagnose the problem. If he was honest with himself, he'd gone to Jason's bed looking for intimacy. It had been a long week without his husband, and the loneliness had reached the point that simply cuddling in bed wouldn't cure the way he was feeling. What hadn't been in the plan was watching porn, especially not anything of Ryan and Chester's, and Mike wondered if that had Jason feeling uncomfortable in the light of day.

It was confusing to Mike. Jason had been immersed in the porn industry for years, and had filmed far more scenes than Mike had ever even watched. All he could think was that getting off to Ryan and Chester had crossed some kind of line, but that didn't make much sense to him, either. They'd had sex with Ryan and Chester at their side more than a handful of times now. It was thrilling to watch, and both Jason and Mike had done so often.

Jason could feel Mike watching him. He knew he'd been avoidant all morning, and time was ticking. There were things he knew he needed to say to Mike before they left to go to the airport, but he'd managed to prolong starting the conversation simply by doting on Julien. Tending the baby's needs had kept him occupied while he tried to sort out how he was feeling, but that space wasn't going to last much longer. If anything, Jason had learned to read Mike's emotions a long time ago. The impatient side of Mike was currently prodding at the anxiety side, and it was going to end with Mike having a panic attack if Jason didn't say something soon.

He looked up from the book that Julien was babbling at and met Mike's stare. It made Mike's eyes drop suddenly, like he'd been caught, and Jason sighed. "You okay?" he finally asked over Julien's head, watching as Mike shifted uncomfortably on his feet.