acted hurt.
His tactic worked. Matt laughed and that was all that mattered. Then suddenly, Matt's mood sobered and he looked at Julian with a serious expression.
"Did you really think I was an asshole?" he asked softly.
Julian didn't want Matt to get upset. He simply wanted to lighten the mood and get Matt's mind off whatever it was that was weighing him down. "Actually, no, I didn't think you were an asshole."
Matt sighed and a hint of a smile appeared.
"I thought you were a boner."
Before he knew it, Matt was up from his chair, chasing him around the room, occasionally hitting his arm when he caught up to him.
"That's B-O-N-E-R, Boner," Julian barked in between laughter as Matt continued to follow him around the room in horseplay. "A boner looking for a handyman."
Matt was laughing so hard he had to stop chasing Julian.
"Was I really that bad?" Matt finally asked, bent over with his hands on his knees, catching his breath.
Julian looked at Matt and shook his head. "Nah, you weren't that bad," he said and walked over to Matt. "I remember you looked really tired. I just couldn't resist messing with you."
Matt straightened. "You never did tell me your middle name."
Julian smiled. He stepped closer to Matt. "Can I ask you a question?"
Matt seemed to have been caught off guard and stepped back, the wall stopping him from going any farther. He stared at Julian as he inched forward. The sound of the wind outside momentarily distracted him but he quickly looked back up to Julian.
"Sure," Matt cautiously answered.
"It's about Sam."
"What about Sam?"
"Is he your boyfriend?" Julian stepped forward a little more. The question didn't fit into the employer-employee dynamic but he didn't give a rat's ass right now. He just needed to know.
Matt gulped and shook his head in response. "We're friends," he mumbled. Matt was either not telling the entire truth or nervous as hell because he was getting closer.
" Just friends friends, or friends with benefits friends?" Julian asked as he inched forward again. He blocked most of the candlelight from the edge of the room, putting Matt almost in complete darkness in front of him.
Matt swallowed heavily. "Huh?"
"You and Sam."
Matt closed his eyes. "Sam and I are friends. Just friends."
"No benefits?" Julian asked to clarify.
Between the wind noise outside and Julian crowding him, it seemed as if Matt was going to panic. When he opened his eyes, he kept looking from side to side wildly but didn't move. He finally looked at Julian and held his gaze.
"No, no benefits, no perks, no rewards, no bonus points, no nothing, now or ever. Just a good friend who was there when I needed one," he responded, abruptly flattening his hands against the wall behind him.
Relief poured through Julian. There was something more between Matt and Sam than just a friendship, but at least he now knew it wasn't sexual. He couldn't fault Matt for having a close friend; he obviously kept things to himself, probably as some form of self-preservation. Julian could definitely relate to that. He was grateful Matt had at least had someone he could rely on when needed.
He just wished it was him and not someone else.
The bare hint of light lit Matt's face, but it was enough to highlight the bewildered look in his eyes. He was breathing heavier. Julian loved knowing he could unhinge Matt like this. He reached up to cradle Matt's face with both hands. He noticed Matt's breathing changed, almost settled a little. The bewildered expression in his eyes was replaced with something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. Matt's gaze flickered to Julian's lips for a split second then back up to Julian's eyes. If Julian had blinked, he would have missed it. Ah, the anticipation in their depths. Julian could totally understand that. He smiled.
"Good." He slowly stroked Matt's cheek with his thumb. "Then Sam won't mind me kissing you," he said, a breath away from Matt.
Matt shook he head slowly, never breaking eye contact
His tactic worked. Matt laughed and that was all that mattered. Then suddenly, Matt's mood sobered and he looked at Julian with a serious expression.
"Did you really think I was an asshole?" he asked softly.
Julian didn't want Matt to get upset. He simply wanted to lighten the mood and get Matt's mind off whatever it was that was weighing him down. "Actually, no, I didn't think you were an asshole."
Matt sighed and a hint of a smile appeared.
"I thought you were a boner."
Before he knew it, Matt was up from his chair, chasing him around the room, occasionally hitting his arm when he caught up to him.
"That's B-O-N-E-R, Boner," Julian barked in between laughter as Matt continued to follow him around the room in horseplay. "A boner looking for a handyman."
Matt was laughing so hard he had to stop chasing Julian.
"Was I really that bad?" Matt finally asked, bent over with his hands on his knees, catching his breath.
Julian looked at Matt and shook his head. "Nah, you weren't that bad," he said and walked over to Matt. "I remember you looked really tired. I just couldn't resist messing with you."
Matt straightened. "You never did tell me your middle name."
Julian smiled. He stepped closer to Matt. "Can I ask you a question?"
Matt seemed to have been caught off guard and stepped back, the wall stopping him from going any farther. He stared at Julian as he inched forward. The sound of the wind outside momentarily distracted him but he quickly looked back up to Julian.
"Sure," Matt cautiously answered.
"It's about Sam."
"What about Sam?"
"Is he your boyfriend?" Julian stepped forward a little more. The question didn't fit into the employer-employee dynamic but he didn't give a rat's ass right now. He just needed to know.
Matt gulped and shook his head in response. "We're friends," he mumbled. Matt was either not telling the entire truth or nervous as hell because he was getting closer.
" Just friends friends, or friends with benefits friends?" Julian asked as he inched forward again. He blocked most of the candlelight from the edge of the room, putting Matt almost in complete darkness in front of him.
Matt swallowed heavily. "Huh?"
"You and Sam."
Matt closed his eyes. "Sam and I are friends. Just friends."
"No benefits?" Julian asked to clarify.
Between the wind noise outside and Julian crowding him, it seemed as if Matt was going to panic. When he opened his eyes, he kept looking from side to side wildly but didn't move. He finally looked at Julian and held his gaze.
"No, no benefits, no perks, no rewards, no bonus points, no nothing, now or ever. Just a good friend who was there when I needed one," he responded, abruptly flattening his hands against the wall behind him.
Relief poured through Julian. There was something more between Matt and Sam than just a friendship, but at least he now knew it wasn't sexual. He couldn't fault Matt for having a close friend; he obviously kept things to himself, probably as some form of self-preservation. Julian could definitely relate to that. He was grateful Matt had at least had someone he could rely on when needed.
He just wished it was him and not someone else.
The bare hint of light lit Matt's face, but it was enough to highlight the bewildered look in his eyes. He was breathing heavier. Julian loved knowing he could unhinge Matt like this. He reached up to cradle Matt's face with both hands. He noticed Matt's breathing changed, almost settled a little. The bewildered expression in his eyes was replaced with something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. Matt's gaze flickered to Julian's lips for a split second then back up to Julian's eyes. If Julian had blinked, he would have missed it. Ah, the anticipation in their depths. Julian could totally understand that. He smiled.
"Good." He slowly stroked Matt's cheek with his thumb. "Then Sam won't mind me kissing you," he said, a breath away from Matt.
Matt shook he head slowly, never breaking eye contact
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