Lay Me Down (MxM)

17. The Color Green

Hi lovely humans!

I hadn't actually planned to write this weekend, but I'm foaming at the mouth to write a certain, spicy scene which will be taking place in the next chapter. The dopamine flowed and I stayed up until 0300 to finish this chapter, so... surprise! I hope you guys enjoy it, please share in the comments what you think about their chemistry, and what "plans" Jae might have in mind for Lu in the following chapter? Hehe.

Thanks for all your support and kind words, you guys are the best.

-Quill

Lucas

"So..." I said awkwardly, leaning my face on my hand. I studied Jae, his posture, his expression; he was hard to read. I couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable with me, or if he was just on edge from the text Ellis had sent him earlier.

"... go on, finish your sentence." He chuckled, cutting up his French toast.

I exhaled a nervous laugh, poking at my food while I tried to figure out what I wanted to say exactly. There was so much going on in my mind, and I wasn't sure where to start. Jae didn't push me though, he seemed perfectly comfortable with the silence as he ate, but his posture still seemed a bit stiff.

"Is Ellis like... is he dating anyone?" I blurted out, kicking myself immediately. What kind of question was that? I wanted to bury my face in the French toast.

Jae shrugged, then tossed back some water while eyeing me. "Beats my dick."

"... your what?" I snorted, choking on my food a little.

"What, you never use that phrase?" he asked. He set his fork down and reached for his coffee, resting his elbows on the table while he sipped.

I shook my head and grinned. "Nope, but I'll definitely be using it now."

"Guys used to say that shit a lot when I was in the Navy." He chuckled. "We got creative, you know, with our words."

"What'd you do, you know, when you were in?" I asked, curious about Jae's past. I recognized this might be an opportunity to learn more about my new "friend" of sorts.

He leaned back in his seat and sighed, resting his free arm against the back of the extra seat next to him. "Corpsman. Worked green side, did six years. Originally signed up for the usual four, decided to extend my contract another two years... and well, at that point I knew it was time to get out. My partner at the time, well, she was over the 'Navy' life."

I looked up from my food at the mention of the word, "she". That was news. I did my best not to look surprised, but to be honest, I was. I wasn't sure why, but I had just assumed Jae was gay for some reason. A few awkward seconds passed before he smirked.

"You thought I was gay, huh?" It was like he'd read my mind, or rather, my expression maybe.

I blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. Who was I to assume what Jae was or wasn't into?

"Uh... yeah, sort of... yes. I did." I stuttered, kicking myself internally.

He waived me off and shot a gentle smile. "Eh, don't be. I can see why you'd assume that about me."

I relaxed into my seat and let out a soft exhale, glad I'd not offended him. To be fair to Jae, he didn't seem like the type to get easily upset or offended. He seemed level-headed, confident, and thick-skinned. Despite how much I already liked the guy, the reality was I hardly knew him, and that was a problem I was intent on fixing.

"I'm uh, bisexual." He added confidently. "I like men and I like women, but I've not really been with women much the past few years, if I'm being honest. Just seem to be into guys right now." He downed the last of his coffee and set his cup on the table gently. He looked down and I followed his gaze to the cup in his hand; he was spinning it slowly.